Following two action-packed rounds of ADFC’s Mixed Martial Arts championship, event-organizing company ISEE has officially announced March 11, 2011 as the date for Round three. The third round of the championship will be headlined by the Open Wright GP final between the two finalists, Marcos Oliveira and Shamil Abdurahimov. The two contenders fought their way to the final round and will now face off in March to see who will be the first fighter ever to wear the ADFC title belt and walk away with one million dirhams, the United Arab Emirates’ currency.
Marcão Oliveira. Photo: Publicity.
Of the eight champions who initially fought at the inaugural ADFC event, two remain, and the whole country sits in anticipation of the outcome.
ADFC continues to provide a platform for up-and-coming fighters to exhibit their skills, as well as to give them a chance to rise up the ranks of the championship and garner international exposure.
The organization has compiled a talented list of fighters, both from the Middle East region and from around the world who continue to prove themselves in each event.
What’s more, of these fighters are the two first-ever Emirati mixed martial artists, both of whom have come in as victors in their last fights.
Ali Ahli. Photo: Publicity.
Hassan Al Rumaithi, the first Emirati mixed martial artist competed in both round one and round two, easily defeating both opponents. Ali Ahli, from Dubai, following in the footsteps of his Abu Dhabi counterpart, becoming the second Emirati mixed martial artist winning one as well, for he too defeated his Brazilian opponent at round two last month.
The final round, round three on March 11, will be the grounds for the final fight, between Marcos Oliveira and Shamil “Rostov-on-Don” Abdurahimov. Marcos is an Abu Dhabi-based Brazilian who teaches Jiu-Jitsu in a school program. Shamil is a spiritual Russian, known for training in the cold mountains of his homeland.
These two giant forces will meet next year, and only one will walk away donning the ADFC Title Belt and pocketing the one million-dirham prize. In the meantime, I SEE is organizing amateur fight nights at local outdoor clubs that will take place every few weeks and which will feature local and regional amateur mixed martial artists. The purpose of these fights is to screen fighters for upcoming ADFC events and to build the roster of fighters who are talented and need a platform to display this talent.