The Middle East’s biggest and best combat sports promotion heads back to the Garden City for the second time this year featuring some of the hottest rising prospects in global MMA culminating in a main event deliberately curated for the delight of fight fans between two athletes who have never been finished.
Framed by one of the fiercest rivalries in the sporting world, the final bout of UAE Warriors 63 is a classic Russia versus Serbia clash, between Evgeny ‘General’ Morozov (9-1) and Basir ‘Ozden’ Saraliev (9-1). It’s a welcome Warriors return for Morozov from Belgrade after finishing in the first at UAE Warriors 63 in July, making this his 11th fight despite only turning pro three years ago. But his opponent, the Makhachkala-based Turkmenistani, Saraliev, is unstoppable. All of his finishes are in the first-round and his titanium chin has grabbed decision wins in absolute wars against some of the best lightweights in Russia.
One of the promotional OG’s returns in the co-main event as the former lightweight title contender from Brazil Alex ‘Leko’ da Silva (24-6) takes on the Dagestani destroyer, Kurbanali ‘Big Show’ Isabekov 9-3. It was in Al Ain last February that a body-kick from Amru Magomedov dashed Leko’s title hopes, so now he returns to the scene of that devastating loss in the hope that he might beat a new path to the gold. However, no-one has finished Isabekov in the seven years during which he put together an hellacious winning streak with just one loss in fourteen fights courtesy of pure knockout power and a dominating grappling offence.
Magomed Saidov 7-0 finally makes his promotional debut after running through every previous opponent like yak butter. Undefeated with all of his victories being stoppages, the young Russian will face the toughest opponent of his burgeoning career in form of the UFC vet, Luis Henrique ‘Frankenstein’ da Silva 20-10. A headhunter supreme with eighteen wins by knockout, many of them truly spectacular, ‘Frankenstein’ is indeed a monster in the cage who enjoyed a twelve-bout undefeated streak until falling foul of Paul Craig in Sacramento. One of the most experienced fighters on the card faces one of Moscow’s biggest light-heavy prospects.
Rounding off the main card is the former Cage Warriors champ, Luke ‘The Apocalypse’ Shanks (10-5) from Higher Level in Scotland taking on UFC vet and Sambo specialist, Zarrukh Adashev 4-4 after Persian kickboxing sensation Abdullo Khodzhaev (7-1) draws the imposing Azerbaijani strangler Turan Ahmadov (5-2).
The entire UAE Warriors 63 card:*
Light Heavyweight Bout: Nutsalkhan Magomedov (1-0) vs Ion Chirilov (0-0)
Bantamweight Bout: Flobater Fares (1-0) vs Alex Asio Jr. (3-0)
Flyweight Bout: Ilknur Kurt (1-1) vs Sarah Mahmood (2-1)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Magomed Tuchalov (3-0) vs Khabib Gaziev (3-1)
Lightweight Bout: Slimen Hassaini (3-1) vs Mirmehti Miriyev (3-0)
Middleweight Bout: Ali Foladi (5-2) vs Pedro Oliveira (8-4)
Catchweight Bout: Abdul Elwahab Saeed (8-8) vs John Martin Fraser (9-5)
Lightweight Bout: Abdullo Khodzhaev (7-1) vs Turan Ahmadov (5-2)
Catchweight Bout: Zarrukh Adashev (4-4) vs Luke Shanks (10-5)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Magomed Saidov (7-0) vs Luis Henrique da Silva (20-10)
Catchweight Bout: Alex da Silva (24-6) vs Kurbanali Isabekov (9-3)
Catchweight Bout: Evgeny Morozov (9-1) vs Basir Saraliev (9-1)
UAE Warriors 63 is proudly presented by Palms Sports and takes place on Wednesday the 10th of September live from the ADNEC Centre in Al Ain, UAE. Available live on UFC Fight Pass and Abu Dhabi Sports TV at 19.00 Gulf Standard Time,11.00 ET, 08.00 PT. Tickets available online and in-store at Virgin Megastores. *Bouts Subject To change
Further information available at www.uaewarriors.com
