Latest news with #UAEWarriors
The National
14-03-2025
- Sport
- The National
'Ready for anyone': Ali Taleb steps up to PFL World Tournament to face Zebenzui Ruiz
Ali Taleb said he is ready to take on all comers after being promoted to the PFL's World Tournament. The Iraqi-born Swede won the promotion's Mena bantamweight title last November by knocking out Moroccan Rachid Haz in the first round in Riyadh. Taleb's performance did not go unnoticed, and the 27-year-old will make the step up in grade at the 2025 PFL World Tournament starting in April, where he is slated to meet Spaniard Zebenzui Ruiz in the newly introduced 135lb weight division. 'I can't wait for this day. I'm super excited. I have been training and preparing for this event ever since the PFL confirmed my spot in the World Tournament,' Taleb, 27, told The National in a Zoom interview. 'Yeah, that's what I have been doing all the time; training and preparing until the day of the fight. I plan to fly to the US for a camp ahead of the fight as soon as I receive my visa." Taleb has only one defeat in his 13-fight pro career while Ruiz also has 12 wins against three losses. 'I don't know much about this Spanish guy but I'm ready to take on anyone the promotion puts in front of me because if you want to be a world champ, you should be able to take on anyone to be the best,' Taleb said. The 2025 PFL World Tournament kicks off in April, with four weekly opening round events taking place on April 3, 11, 18 and May 1 at the Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. Taleb has won four of his five PFL fights with his solitary loss coming against Khurshed Kakhorov of Tajikistan in September 2023. His best win so far has been in UAE Warriors when he dethroned bantamweight champion Vinicius Oliveira – now in the UFC – in a third-round TKO. With that win under his belt, as well as crossing over to PFL and winning the Mena bantamweight crown in the inaugural season, Taleb has proven to be one of the top fighters in the region. 'To win the bantamweight belt was fantastic and now to step up to the world stage I believe was a natural process,' he said. 'I have gone though a lot in life. It has been a very hard and long journey for me. I'm glad about what I have achieved and where I have reached right now. But I want to go further.' Taleb has shown high-level skills and ability, including excellent boxing skills and crunching power punches. He began his professional career with two wins in the Fight Club Rush in Sweden – the first by TKO stoppage and the next by submission arm triangle choke. He went undefeated in the UAE Warriors, reeling off three wins in the Abu Dhabi promotion's Arabia event and two in the international event that culminated with the bantamweight title triumph over Oliveira in July 2022. 'Vinicius was 17-2 and I was 6-0 when I stopped him in the third round. Now he is in UFC and I signed for PFL, which was a big break for me,' Taleb said. 'I was undefeated in five UAE Warriors appearances and ended up with the bantamweight belt. I enjoyed my time with the Abu Dhabi promotion but I had to move on when the opportunities opened up.' Taleb moved with his family to Sweden in 2009 where he joined a martial arts school. He won five of his eight amateur MMA fights and turned pro in 2018. 'That has been my life ever since,' he added. 'I spend much of my time in training and when I'm at home I spend time with my family and play around with my two huskies. 'As a child, I played football and tried out a few other sports but it was MMA that I was attracted to and continued to pursue full-time. I think I have done pretty well so far in my chosen profession and obviously looking ahead for bigger goals. 'I want to put up a show on my first appearance on the world stage. I want to tell my friends and fans around the world to keep supporting me and I'll give them a good show every time I enter the arena.'
The National
21-02-2025
- Sport
- The National
Former UFC star Alex da Silva expects 'fireworks' in clash with UAE Warriors champion Amru Magomedov
Former UFC lightweight Alex da Silva has promised 'fireworks' when he meets the undefeated UAE Warriors champion Amru Magomedov at the ADNEC Centre in Al Ain on Saturday. The Brazilian enters the cage as the more experienced fighter with a 24-5 (win/loss) record against Magomedov who is undefeated in eight fights, in the headline contest of the 14-fight card staged for the first time in the Oasis city. 'Technically, my opponent and I are big martial arts lovers. So, I'm sure we're going to put some fireworks on the night,' Da Silva said of his meeting with Magomedov at UAE Warriors 58. 'He has never been tested as hard as I'm going to do with him, so for sure, I'll bring some hard time to him and let's see what happens.' Da Silva's debut in the promotion ended in defeat to Russia's Makkasharip Zaynukov in a split decision in March 2023. The Brazilian has won twice since then to earn a title contest against Magomedov. Magomedov, 25, has had only eight career fights but has gone undefeated and is also on the back of three successive victories including two defences of the UAE Warriors belt. Many think an experienced fighter like Da Silva, who has 29 fights including four appearances in the UFC, would be the ultimate test. 'He is a strong and experienced opponent. I never underestimate him. I trained hard all month. I will show him on Saturday evening,' said Magomedov. The Dagestani is widely regarded as a fighter following in the pathway of the UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Magomedov is another Dagestani fighter to emerge from the Khabib school. He is a teammate and training partner of the former undefeated UFC lightweight champion's cousin Usman Nurmagomedov and trains under the same coach Javier Mendes. When asked if he spars with Khabib back home in Dagestan, Magomedov said: 'I wrestle with him at times, not spar. Many of us look at Khabib as our role model and his presence alongside is enough to motivate us. 'Also, we have some of the best wrestling schools in the world back home in Dagestan. This is why the Dagestani fighters are some of the best MMA fighters in the world circuit.' However, Da Silva countered Magomedov's claim by saying the rivalry between the Russian and Brazilian fighters was increasing in momentum, but insisted the South American nation has been dominating the MMA world for long time. 'We are the country with more belts, more champions, so I'm going to take the belt on Saturday and prove that Brazil is better in MMA,' he added. Rany Sadeh (14-4) takes on the UAE Warriors debutant Hikaru Yoshino (13-5) in the co-main at bantamweight, while Brazilian Victor Nunes (10-5) faces Filipino Genil Francisco (14-10) in the flyweight division on the main card. Also on the main card are some close battles, including between Uzbek Akbarjon Islomboev (9-1) and Daan Duijs (10-2) of the Netherlands, Russian Gadzhi Abdulkadirov (5-1) and Brazilian Michel Goes (4-0) at heavyweight and Annie Thatcher (3-1) of Australia against Brazilian Claudia Leite (8-3).
USA Today
12-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UAE Warriors 58 full fight card revealed; Amru Magomedov vs. Alex da Silva headlines
UAE Warriors returns with a big card in February. In the main event, lightweight champion Amru Magomedov defends his title against ex-UFC fighter Alex Da Silva at UAE Warriors 58 on Feb. 22 in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. The event streams on UFC Fight Pass. Magomedov (8-0) and da Silva (24-5) were rebooked after their vacant lightweight title bout at UAE Warriors 44 in August 2023 was scrapped. A person with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the full event lineup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. In the co-main event, former BAMMA champion Rany Saadeh(14-4) takes on ONE FC, RIZIN FF and DEEP veteran Hikaru Yoshino (13-5) in a bantamweight bout. In the featured bout, Khabib Nurmagomedov team member Magomed Zaynukov (6-0) meets Azerbaijan's Shakhmar Sadygov (6-0-1) in a 155-pound bout. Sadygov trains with UFC lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev at Tiger Muay Thai. Below is the complete UAE Warriors 58 lineup:
Arab News
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
PFL MENA champ Ali Taleb joins world tournament
RIYADH: From regional dominance to the global stage, Ali Taleb is ready to take his career to the next level. After a commanding performance in PFL MENA 2024, where he won the bantamweight championship, the 27-year-old Iraqi powerhouse will step up to face the best in the world at the inaugural PFL World Tournament. Taleb's journey has been nothing short of spectacular. A rising star from UAE Warriors, he burst onto the scene with a flawless 6-0 record, catching the attention of the Professional Fighters League and making his SmartCage debut in 2022. His success earned him a spot in PFL Europe, where he tasted his first professional defeat — but he came back stronger than ever. In 2024, Taleb proved his resilience and skill by dominating the PFL MENA circuit. With back-to-back victories, he earned his shot at the title and seized it firmly, knocking out Rachid Haz in just 85 seconds to claim the bantamweight title. Now, with a 12-1 record and 10 finishes to his name (7 KOs, 3 submissions), Taleb faces a new challenge — the PFL World Championship Tournament, where he will compete against seven other elite bantamweights, each fighting for the prestigious title of PFL World Champion and a prize of $500,000. The 2025 PFL World Tournament will be one of the biggest events in mixed martial arts history, featuring 64 of the world's top fighters across eight weight divisions. The action kicks off in April at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, with the semifinals in June and the finals in August.
Arab News
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Iraq's Hussein Salim to take on Italy's Walter Cogliandro at ONE Championship in Qatar
DOHA: Iraq's Hussein Salim will face Italian fighter Walter Cogliandro in a featherweight MMA bout at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Salim joins the UAE's Zayed Al-Katheeri, Kuwait's Jarrah Al-Hazza, and Morocco's Ilias Ennahachi as representatives of Arab countries on the upcoming card of the ONE Championship event. Salim, who is known in the UAE after participating in seven bouts at UAE Warriors, is one of Iraq's top martial artists. The 32-year-old owns an 11-5 overall professional record. Italy's Cogliandro enters the bout after recent wins against UFC veterans Mark Striegl and Jordan's Ali Al-Qaisi. The event features two world title fights as Jonathan Haggerty defends the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world title against Chinese veteran and No. 1 ranked Wei Rui while champion Joshua Pacio and interim champion Jarred Brooks meet for the third time in a ONE strawweight MMA world title unification bout. ONE 171: Qatar kicks off at 5 p.m. Makkah time live from the Lusail Sports Arena.
