ABU DHABI: In a night of 14 high-class jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts bouts, American Urijah Faber and Brazilian Rayron Gracie emerged victorious in the fifth Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC) at the Mubadala Arena on Friday, with Faber winning the no-gi trophy and Gracie taking home the gi.
Faber proved his staying power when he defeated Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes almost 20 years after their first MMA encounter.
Faber used his experience as a wrestler to fend off Fernandes' attacks, working better from the top as he put pressure on his opponent's guard. The Brazilian had some good moments as he landed some takedowns and sweeps, but Faber's skills won out.
In the end, the American fighter conquered the ADXC cage by unanimous decision. After the duel, Faber emphasized his respect for his rival and praised the event in Abu Dhabi.
“I love Fernandes. This guy has changed the lives of many athletes throughout his career and he is also very difficult to beat,” Faber said. “It was good for me to be back in the cage fighting. If you are looking for something that will change your life, try combat sports. Abu Dhabi is doing the right thing by investing in something like jiu-jitsu.”
In his showdown, Gracie gave debutant Marcos Carrozzino no chance and took his second consecutive win at ADXC, once again by submission.
Gracie defended himself well against his opponent's attacks at the beginning of the fight. After a takedown attempt by Carrozzino, Gracie applied an unorthodox chokehold and forced his rival to submit. Gracie then paid tribute to his uncle, the well-known mixed martial artist Renzo Gracie, who was in his corner during the fight.
“I know everything goes well when my uncle is by my side,” Gracie said. “My first loop choke was tight, but Carrozzino was able to break free very well. The guillotine he put on me was very tight, but I knew he was going to give it his all, so I was able to defend and recover. Five minutes before the fight, my uncle told me to apply the corner choke with about 40 seconds left in the round.”
In the second major grappling match, American Chad Mendes defeated Brazilian Diego Brandão by unanimous decision. Mendes led the entire fight, controlled his opponent's head in standing combat, used good takedowns and defended himself excellently.
The other main gi event was a very technical, evenly matched match, with Pedro Ramalho of Portugal narrowly defeating Sweden's Max Lindblad by a split decision to take the title. With similar fighting styles, the competitors traded holds and attacks while defending dangerous positions. Ramalho stood out with good sweeps and was particularly dangerous with his feet. Lindblad's standout moment was a footlock attempt that put him in the lead. In the end, however, Ramalho's consistency was rewarded.
In addition to the four main bouts, ten other fights kept ADXC 5 exciting. In the opening bout, Balqees Al-Hashmi of the United Arab Emirates dominated her fight against Maria Odintsova of Russia. Al Hashmi made full use of her guard and remained in control throughout, deploying some promising attacks and using her positional control to put her opponent under pressure throughout. Al-Hashmi won by unanimous decision.
Another Emirati fighter also recorded a win on home soil, with Omar Al-Suwaidi defeating Samuel Marquez by unanimous decision in a fight that Al-Suwaidi dominated by maintaining a fast pace.
In another outstanding display of power and technique in the ADXC cage, Iranian fighter Pouya Rahmani executed a single-leg takedown of Hamdy Abdelwahab, extended his arms toward the crowd, then slid them under Abdelwahab's neck to secure the win with a chokehold.
Tunisian fighter Amin Boudhina was defeated by Brazilian Davi Vetoraci. Vetoraci attacked from the start with a dangerous flying triangle and then went for an armbar attempt, which Boudhina defended. Later, Vetoraci faked a shoulderbar. As the Tunisian fighter turned to escape, Vetoraci applied his winning armbar.
19-year-old Seilkhan Bolatbek of Kazakhstan earned a quick win over Emad Ahmedin of the Netherlands and Chinese fighter Xiaosong Shi was defeated by US fighter Abe “The Killer” Alsaghir in an intense battle in which Alsaghir used the cage to his advantage. Shi had some good moments, including a particularly well-executed guillotine attempt in the second round, but Alsaghir kept the pressure on and emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
