Angola’s Demarte Pena and Azerbaijan’s Shakhmal Sadigov emerged victorious in the drama-filled main event of two nights of sublime martial arts action at the ADNEC Center in Abu Dhabi.
On Friday, September 27, the first night of hostilities, UAE Warriors 43 Arabia vs. Africa pitted the intercontinental powerhouses against each other in the Octagon, resulting in 11 matches of non-stop drama that captivated a sold-out crowd. Jaws crashed to the floor when Egypt’s “Golden Boy” Mahmoud Atef (5-2) spectacularly KOed Iraq’s Issa Salem (9-6) with the best KO of the night.
The main event featured a great fight, with Angolan bantamweight Demarte Pena (15-2) defeating his opponent, Lebanese Marcel Adour (18-0) with pinpoint strikes to the feet and terrifying ground-and-pound to the floor. (7 losses), solidifying his achievements. A great Lutador from Luanda.
UAE Warriors 44 matches continued rapidly the next day, with international fighters eager not to lose in the two-day mixed martial arts bonanza that the promotion has become world-famous for. Indeed, the fight of the night was between two undefeated prospects, Russia’s Gamid Khizriyev (5-0) and Iran’s Abdulo Khodyaev (5-1). They displayed immense courage and granite chins in a highly entertaining match. On a difficult night for the judges, Khizriyev defended his ‘O’ rating, handing Tehran’s Tajik tap-taker his first loss in a cracking fight. In the main event, Thailand-based Azerbaijani kickboxer Shakhmar Sadigov (7 wins, 0 losses) will take on Dubai-based Uzbekistan Sambo specialist Jakongil Jumayev (11 wins, 5 losses) in an evenly matched match. He was able to get the players to admit it, brilliantly betraying the excitement before the game. There was a moment when he had the upper hand and he aimed for the finish. With not a single seat left at the ADNEC Center, the crowd roared with excitement until the final bell rang, after which Sadigov won a split decision.
UAE Warriors 55 promises more action as the Middle East’s best promotion returns with one of the most prolific cards of the year, live from Abu Dhabi on October 23rd.