UAE Warriors action shifts to Etihad Arena

Article posted by Coliseum, February 21^st, 2022

Image: Etihad Arena

The professional mixed martial arts organization based in Abu Dhabi (UAE) – UAE Warriors – announced a move on February 14^th to Etihad Arena for the upcoming UAE Warriors 25: Africa and UAE Warriors 26: Arabia events this month in Abu Dhabi.

The ‘Murphy Sports Marketing’ stated that as a result of the move, the events have been rescheduled for February 25^th and February 26^th, respectively.

The Etihad Arena (initially known as Yas Bay Arena while under construction) is an indoor arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, located on the Yas Bay Waterfront district of Yas Island. Designed by HOK, the capacity of the venue is 18,000 and it is operated by Flash Entertainment.

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The Etihad Arena, which opened in 2021, is well known amongst the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fans for being the de facto home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Middle East. Most recently, UFC 267 saw Glover Teixeira (Brazilian mixed martial artist) defeat Jan Blachowicz (Polish mixed martial artist) for the UFC light heavyweight title in front of over 10,000 fans in attendance.

The ‘Murphy Sports Marketing’ further stated that the move to Etihad Arena signals UAE Warriors’ continued growth. The year 2021 was a monumental year for the promotion with the launch of UAE Warriors: Arabia, a series of events dedicated to providing a platform for athletes of Arabic heritage, and a nomination for ‘MMA Promotion of the Year’ at the prestigious Fighters Only World MMA Awards. This month will see the official launch of UAE Warriors: Africa with the goal of supporting the careers of African athletes from across the globe.

UAE Warriors 25: Africa, on February 25^th will feature athletes from over 15 African nations. Italian-based Tunisian Wisem Hammami (6-0) vs. Shido Soto (5-0) of Angola will serve as the main event and promises to be a thrilling contest between two undefeated fighters.

UAE Warriors 26: Arabia will take place on the evening of February 26^th. Jordan’s Izzeddine Al Derbani (11-2) will meet Lebanon’s Youssef Ghrairi (9-2) in the main event pitting two of the region’s top athletes against one another.

Both events will be available to watch live around the world on UFC Fight Pass.

The UFC Fight Pass is an American subscription-based video streaming service owned by the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa, which launched in December 2013.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada (US). It is owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings.

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