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MMATorch correspondent Ian Saul sent the following additional notes regarding his trip into Abu Dhabi for today's UFC 112 event
Yas Island is man made. This 25km² Island, which houses the new Ferrari world theme park, the new Warner Bros theme park and is the home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, wasn’t here just a few years ago. This blows the mind to think about. As how does one MAKE and island? I’ve been an Engineer now for a lot of years and I know in theory how to answer that question but to see it done in practice is another matter entirely.
My day started early with a couple of flights to get out of Saudi. Flying into Abu Dhabi is an experience as the whole city rises up at you out of the water and is actually quite surprising to see when you get there. You expect to see a city, probably quite large, but what you end up seeing is so much bigger than that.
Abu Dhabi sprawls across the landscape. It is too compact to be seen as different cities and too spaced out to be one city. Yas Island from the air is only recognisable because of the Giant Red Ferrari sign that hides beneath it the world’s fastest roller coaster, and whose arms cradle the stadium which will hold today’s UFC 112 card. The outdoor venue has been a concern this week as the sand storms that have hit Riyadh where I am have been known to rock Abu Dhabi as well. Thankfully this appears to not be a problem today and we can all relax and enjoy a few beers at the hotel before heading to the stadium.
As far as I am aware there will be no alcohol in the stadium. Abu Dhabi tends to be like Dubai in that, although you can drink in hotels, you can’t anywhere else and as I’ve been in a completely dry nation for quite some time I will be indulging before the event.
Yas island is about 30 minutes away from the central area of the city and only about 10 mins from the airport. This is very helpful as many people will be flying in a couple of hours before the event and flying straight out afterwards.
My group will be staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Jas Island itself – it’s a four star hotel that costs less than a days inn in the US. It’s also very close to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest Mosques in Abu Dhabi. It’s an interesting fusion of the very westernized hotels and the classically Arab mosque.
A little history and present:
The desert area of Abu Dhabi was originally settled in 1761 when local tribesmen discovered a fresh water underground stream. The following 2 centuries were tough with subsistence farming being the only thing that really took hold. In the mid twentieth century, when the Saudi region became the oil region, the whole ethos of the area became distorted from those original roots. Things have changed a lot here from those humble beginnings with Abu Dhabi becoming a beacon of industry in the region. Abu Dhabi has taken the best of the Arab culture but relaxed the tight controls of everyday life so that it is a welcoming place for foreigners and, more importantly foreign businesses to come too.
The UFC really does signify that type of shift here. The cultural past here includes a great deal of martial arts in the area’s background. Both the Iranians and the Indians brought different fighting styles to the region and now with a very well known Jiu Jitsu festival being one of the main cultural events that have been in place for many years. The UFC is seen here as an update on that tradition of combat sports and as such is beloved by the locals as we’ll as the increasing numbers of ex-pats who live here.
Where as Dubai has had a financial down turn Abu Dhabi has flourished and is now seen as the cultural center of the region.
People from all over the region are flying in for the show with Riyadh airport bustling this morning with travelers preparing for some good action. It was an interesting atmosphere as we got on the plane and saw the usually reserved Saudi’s talking animatedly about tonight’s fights. One very interesting note is that there was not a single woman on the flight. A lot of the men were travelling with colleagues and friends but even strangers were having long conversations with each other. I fell into conversation with the Arab man to my right and talked for a good 30 minutes about who he had bet on.
And so now for the first time in weeks I will be able to have a beer in the bar and relax before heading down to the show this afternoon. Abu Dhabi is currently at a very comfortable 94 degrees with a very slight breeze. By the time of the event we should have the perfect weather.
I am in no way an MMA expert but for those of you interested here are my picks for the fights:
Anderson Silva vs. Damien Maia – Silva – basically when and how he wants!
Bj Penn vs. Frankie Edgar – Penn in the 2nd with a choke
Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie – Hughes Via choke in the 2nd
Terry Etim vs. Rafael Dos Anjos – Etim Via Decision
Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz – Grove with some type of a submission in the first
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Phil Davis – Davis Via 2nd round submission
Paul Taylor vs. John Gunderson – Taylor with a first round ko
Nick Osipczak vs. Rick Story – Osipczak Via ground and pound in the 3rd
DaMarques Johnson vs. Brad Blackburn – Johnson Via desision
Paul Kelly vs. Matt Veach – Kelly in the 2nd with a choke
Jon Madsen vs. Mostapha Al Turk – Turk via 1st round KO
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