DUBAI: It was the fight event everybody wanted to be at.
In the famous Octagon, UFC 257 reached its dramatic conclusion with American underdog Dustin Poirier stunning crowd-favorite Conor McGregor with a second round TKO.
Yes, there was a crowd, a lucky 2000 after Abu Dhabi’s newly opened Etihad Arena had welcomed back live audiences for the third edition of UFC Fight Island.
For Salem Al-Sulaimani, operations director of Flash Entertainment, the presence of fight fans back on Yas Island’s in January, after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, was a credit to all those involved in the event’s organization.
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“Today, most people are able to look past my gender entirely. I’ve challenged men in my field and although it was initially difficult, I’ve established my name in the industry,” says Budreya Faisal. The first female Emirati entrepreneur to have specialised in sports marketing and athlete management in the GCC, Faisal advises professional athletes about how to best present themselves.
It’s a niche field for women in the region, but Faisal has years of experience when it comes to casually dismantling gender stereotypes simply by following her varied passions – and working hard. Despite a demanding career, in 2018 she took a step further and launched her own agency, Ghost Concept, which provides reputation management, and personal and digital brand development services for athletes in the region.
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Their form in the domestic league is also not encouraging as they languish in the sixth place after 23 rounds, six points adrift of third-placed Shabab Al Ahli. Hence, it will not be surprising if they miss out on ACL action for two consecutive years.
The other UAE teams have a similar story. In 2019, Al Wasl conceded 18 goals in six games to finish last in their group, while Al Nasr could not even get past the playoff stage. Only Al Wahda earned a spot in the knockouts, but they were also eliminated at the Round of 16.
In 2020, the unimpressive string of displays continued on the Asian stage. Al-Ain and Sharjah could not make their way out of the group stage, Al Wahda had to step down due to Covid cases in the team and Shabab Al-Ahli could progress no further than the Round of 16.
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