Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a growing phenomenon the world over, not least in the UAE. Last week, international fighters took to the cage in Abu Dhabi at the Warriors Fighting Championship. Next week, there will be a 12-fight card in Dubai for the Dubai Fighting Championship, which brings some of the world's top fighters as well as showcases some local talent.
The British-born fighter Tam Khan, the owner of Contender MMA in Dubai, has 10 professional fights and seven wins under his belt and is now coaching some of the country's aspiring stars to take to the world stage.
A range of martial arts including Brazilian jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing and Thai boxing, MMA is highly technical and requires great levels of fitness and years of training.
At next week's Dubai Fighting Championship, the hopeful competitors will rely on their cardiovascular fitness, says Khan, who is running the MMA event at the Habtoor Grand hotel.
"At this level, it's 80 per cent about fitness. Unlike boxing or Thai boxing, there's no stopping when you get [taken down] to the floor. You just continue," he says.
The sport, which uses everything from leg and core strength to balance, requires a great deal of preparation. In its three five-minute rounds, even fighters who are technically highly skilled can lose if their fitness level is not up to scratch.
"We spar six-minute rounds [in training]," Khan says, "and instead of doing three, we do five. The conditioning is so important, so after doing that, psychologically too, those three rounds of five minutes seem way easier and the fighters can push the pace the whole fight."
In addition to lengthy sparring sessions where technique is key, the fighters training for next week's fights are being pushed to their limits to ensure their cardiovascular fitness is in top form, with exercises including jumping jacks, burpees, skipping, battle ropes, tyre flipping and sprints, says Khan. "A lot of it is general fitness, which can be applied to all kinds of fighting, which all relies on conditioning. But some of it, like muscles-ups and tug-of-war, are aiming to build that strength. We don't really do weights. It's functional training [relying mainly on body weight]."
The fighters are training twice daily, between two and four hours at a time. "The main thing is high-intensity intervals that increase the heart rate," Khan says.
In addition, regular sparring and practice fighting (but not at full strength as in a fight) build a fighter's confidence and technique - a vital tool for getting into the cage, Khan says. Fighters focus each day on different areas, from wrestling and grappling to judo, building on their skills.
With just gloves that weigh only 3oz, there is little cushioning from an oncoming punch, least of all when your opponent has the upper hand with you on the mat, known as a "ground pound".
"The wrestling is one of the hardest aspects," says Khan. "The long rounds mean you need longer endurance."
Alan Azdenov, from Russia, is one of the club's wrestling specialists. "The fighters need to be prepared for anything, whether they're on the floor or are pinned up against the cage," he says. "So he needs to be prepared in all aspects, a mix of strength, conditioning and technique."
In preparation for next week, some of the fighters are trying to drop kilos to meet their fight weight. These are strict categories to ensure safe matching, meaning that just a couple of kilos can be the difference between fighting or not. "Generally they have to sweat it out, go to the steam room, the sauna, although some people can easily drop three or four kilos in a session at the gym," says Azdenov. "If you stop eating completely, you'll just be very weak."
DFC Fight Night 2 is on November 16 at Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai. Tickets start at Dh200, and will be on sale soon atVirgin Megastores and from the Contender MMA Centre. For more information visit www.dubaifc.ae or email tam@dubaifc.ae
