D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
The Weekly Wrap walks readers through the last seven days in MMA, recapping and putting into context the week's top story, important news and notable quotes.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship brought its promotional parade to Abu Dhabi, announcing a series of details for an eccentric
UFC 112 on April 10, the first UFC card held outdoors.
B.J. Penn,
Frankie Edgar,
Anderson Silva,
Vitor Belfort and
Renzo Gracie paired UFC gloves with casual wear during a press conference in the glitzy and moneyed oil capital on Wednesday. Penn faces Edgar for the lightweight title and Silva faces Belfort for the middleweight title on the card. Gracie will face
Matt Hughes, who told MMAFighting.com that he declined an invitation to fly to the press conference due to a prior commitment and the recent birth of a child. Hughes will corner camp mate
Robbie Lawler on Saturday’s
Strikeforce “Miami” card.
The UFC’s stated plan to have a new arena built for the event raised some skepticism, but it appears that’s what will happen. The fights were announced as taking place at The Concert Theatre at a complex called Ferrari World on Yas Island, an island in Abu Dhabi that is the site of an ongoing $36 billion tourism development project. The island hosted Formula One racing last year and eventually will host a Warner Bros. Movie World, hotels, water parks, and other attractions.
Ferrari World, a theme park with a roof in the shape the high-end vehicle’s logo, promises a 2010 opening on its website. It was not clear to what extent the park will be completed in time for the UFC pay-per-view. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told The Daily Telegraph the fight venue has yet to be built. The UFC has several U.S. and U.K. dates reserved if plans fall through, though this week’s press conference seems to solidify the Abu Dhabi plan.
The UFC is working with Flash Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi government that recently purchased 10 percent of the UFC, to promote the event and handle logistics. Flash, which has promoted some of Abu Dhabi’s biggest concerts and entertainment events, will be releasing ticket details and further event information in the coming weeks, according to UFC.com.
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