Some drove across the border while others flew in from Europe, Africa and central Asia as Abu Dhabi’s iconic Etihad Arena became a melting pot of MMA fans.
The first thing you noticed outside Etihad Arena on Saturday evening wasn’t the giant UFC posters. It was the many different languages. Arabic, Russian, Hindi, Polish, Kazakh, Uzbek and English could all be heard as fans queued to enter.
Some had driven across the border, some had taken a short flight and others had travelled thousands of kilometres. They had all come from different parts of the world, but they were here for the same reason, UFC Abu Dhabi.
For Tariq Al-Balushi, the journey began just a few hours away in Sohar, Oman. He and his friends drove across the border earlier in the day to support Magomed Zaynukov aka Chanco and watch one of the best fight cards of the year.
“Habibi, we drove straight up from Sohar through the border just for Chanco,” he said.
“Abu Dhabi bringing the UFC right to our doorstep is incredible. We are here supporting the whole region. We watched some of the incredible night of fights and we will drive back on Monday.”
And some of the fans had to board a short flight. Rohan Sharma travelled from Pune, saying the three-hour journey made Abu Dhabi the perfect destination for a weekend built around the UFC.
“The energy in here is unreal. It’s only a three-hour flight, so why not? MMA is growing so fast in India right now, and being this close to world-class fighters is unbelievable,” said Sharma.
“Watching Valter Walker’s calf slicer and the submission live was worth every single rupee.”
Daniyar Kassymov, who had flown in from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to support fighters from Central Asia. He said Abu Dhabi had become a familiar meeting point for fans from across the region.
“Central Asian fighters are taking over the UFC right now. We came to show our support for all our brothers fighting. Abu Dhabi feels like our second home when these events happen.”
For others, the journey was much longer. Mateusz Kowalski flew from Poland, and turned fight week into a holiday. He spent the day exploring Abu Dhabi before heading to Etihad Arena for the evening’s action.
“The atmosphere here is fantastic and completely different from events in Europe,” said Kowalski. “We made a whole vacation out of it. Beach during the day, fights at night. You can’t beat it.”
Kofi Mansah travelled all the way from Accra, Ghana, saying he wanted to support African MMA while enjoying one of the sport’s biggest events. Mensah hopes to one day see the UFC return to Africa, but until then, he believes Abu Dhabi has become the place where fans from every corner of the world come together.
“We came all the way to represent (Africa). African MMA is on the rise and we bring the noise wherever we go. The finishes were incredible. We need a UFC event back on the continent soon, but until then, Abu Dhabi is the place to be,” said Mansah.
Among the loudest celebrations of the night came from supporters of Chanco and Magomed Ankalaev. Shamil Magomedov, who had travelled from Makhachkala in Dagestan, said the trip had been worth every kilometre after watching his countryman deliver another dominant performance.
“Chanco and Magomed showed complete mastery tonight. For Magomed, Guskov was tough, but you cannot stop Ankalaev’s and boxing wrestling when he decides to turn it on. Next stop is the belt and nobody in the division can touch him I believe.”
Source: Khaleej Times