October 20, 2023
The time has finally come. With breathtaking duels taking place in its debut edition at the Mubadala Arena, the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC) had fight fans at the edge of their seats this Friday, October 20th.
In 14 breathtaking fights, the event welcomed Jiu-Jitsu and MMA powerhouses in its innovative cage, propelled by a ruleset that favors aggressive play, and made athletes step up to the stage ready to leave their hearts on the mats as they fought with and without the gi, in duels of three-minute rounds.
In the No-gi main event, set for five rounds of three minutes, Neiman Gracie and Ben Henderson went above and beyond by showcasing the finesse of their grappling skills, with highly technical attacks for the joy of the fight fans. Neiman Gracie sought the uncommon calf slicer at different points of the duel, while Ben Henderson scrambled to go up with his wrestling and attack with leglocks. In the third round, Neiman took Ben's back but didn't manage to submit, dragging the fight to its fourth round, in which he once again was unable to find the way to his opponent's neck.
It was then that, from Neiman's corner, a voice echoed: "If the neck is no good, attack on the arm." It was Renzo Gracie, Neiman's professor and uncle, who had just given Neiman the key to his success. After leaving the back, Neiman locked Bendo's arm and went up to stretch the American's arm, taking the win in the fourth round via submission. After the awe-inspiring victory, Neiman shared his thoughts on his opponent, the timely advice that helped him seize the win, and the future of the ADXC.
“It was amazing, the ADXC is a new show that will take over the world of grappling. I’m one of Ben Henderson’s fans and can tell you that the trick lies in his hair, you can’t find his neck because of it. As for Renzo's advice, you just have to do whatever your master tells you, otherwise he’d beat me up backstage. But all in all, it was amazing. I’m already looking forward to coming back and fighting again at this event.”
In the Gi main event, the clash between old rivals was a balanced one. Right off the bat, Isaque Bahiense pushed Gustavo Batista to the walls of the cage and a fierce battle of strength ensued, with Gustavo simultaneously stopping his opponent’s advance and staying on the lookout for a chance to snag the win. Throughout the five rounds, both athletes showed incredible grit and focus as they measured each other up in a battle of nerves, each looking for the smallest mistake to push through and put their Jiu-Jitsu to work. One of the highlights of the match was at the very last round, when Gustavo attempted to reach Isaque’s back but ended up doing an illegal grip on the pants. After fighting through that war and winning via unanimous decision, a happy Isaque Bahiense talked about the duel and having another chance to be a champion in the UAE.
“The fight was a little stalled, there was a lot of cage work. My goal was to show my Jiu-Jitsu, but I couldn’t pull guard because I know how much pressure Gustavo can apply. But I’m just happy about winning again in Abu Dhabi, which is like a home to me. I travel a lot to the UAE and have won many titles here. I always leave my heart on the mat whenever I’m competing here.”
Check out below the best moments of each fight and the full results. To relive all the action of the ADXC 1, go to TX7.ae by clicking here!
Marvin Vettori vs. Tarek Suleiman
Marvin and Tarek led a fun battle at the ADXC cage. With intense moves, both athletes took each other's back and fended off attacks throughout all rounds. While both sides had solid pressure and chances to come out on top, UFC's Marvin Vettori had the most successful moves and, even without managing to submit the tough-as-nails Tarek, took the win via the referees' unanimous decision.
Roberto Cyborg vs. Anton Minenko
In a clash of generations, Cyborg and Minenko fought an action-packed first round, with an abundance of takedown attempts, leg attacks, and strong guard passes. More offensive throughout the duel, Cyborg imposed his flow on the fight with his single and double-leg attacks while Anton tried to use his guillotine to end the match. At the end of the fifth round, after applying a lot of pressure in the cage walls, Cyborg passed and mounted, conquering both the last round and the referees' unanimous decision to add another win to his already-stacked record.
Tayane Porfirio vs. Giovanna Jara
Tayane and Giovanna are currently two of the main players of their division and they first went up against each other at the ADXC 1. After a balanced first round, both competitors returned highly motivated for the second part of their match. Tayane made the first move, pulling guard to go up with a sweep, but Giovanna deftly used her weight to move on top and avoid her opponent's attacks until the bell rang. Hungry for a submission, Tayane wasted no time and started the third and final round with a full-throttle single-leg takedown, forcing Giovanna to the ground near the walls of the cage. After taking the side control and mounting, Tayane unleashed a barrage of attacks on the arm, but despite some close calls, Giovanna successfully avoided getting submitted. Nevertheless, Tayane was crowned the winner via the referees' unanimous decision.
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Islam Nader Reda
Both Middle Eastern MMA fighters stepped onto the ADXC cage and showed an action-packed battle from start to finish. Palestine's Abdul-Kareem and the Egyptian Islam Reda were very agile throughout the match, with the former using his fast jumps to pass the guard and the latter showing his versatility in the guard to stop his opponent's advances. With more takedown attacks and pressure on the cage walls, Abdul imposed his game on top and ended up with the victory via unanimous decision.
Fabricio Andrey vs. Marcio Andre
The fight between Fabricio and Marcio was predicted to be an explosive and technical duel. True to form, the battle shook up the ADXC cage, with Marcio employing his brisk guard and powerful grips to control Fabricio, who ceaselessly sought single-leg takedowns. Marcio shined brighter in the second round, after almost passing the guard, but Fabricio's offensiveness won him the match at the end, via split decision.
Thalison Soares vs. Zayed Alkatheeri
Two of the main roosterweights in the world, the Brazilian Thalison and the Emirati Zayed were bound to go up against each other eventually, and their first match-up was at the ADXC 1. The balance between these two powerhouses was undeniable, with both sides showing their prowess with guards and foot attacks. However, Thalison was more aggressive, working on top and with an up-to-date takedown game. The Brazilian took the win via unanimous decision.
Marcin Held vs. Guram Kutateladze
Two MMA athletes showed their prowess in grappling. Guran kicked off the match with an armdrag, taking his opponent down with a single-leg. Despite being on the ground, Marcin kept his cool and made his own move by scrambling to go up. Marcin went on to seize the victory after he went through Guran's guard and left his opponent defenseless as he locked an armbar in the very first round.
Fellipe Andrew vs. Uanderson Ferreira
A fast and technical victory for the ace Fellipe Andrew. In the battle against the lively Uanderson Ferreira, Fellipe pulled guard, stopped his opponent's intense movement and, at the right moment, quickly locked his triangle choke, submitting with his signature move in the very first round, with little over a minute on the clock.
Jonnatas Gracie vs. Natan Chueng
After a heated exchange at the weigh-ins, the face-off between Jonnatas and Natan brought the heat and the hype to the ADXC cage. Jonnatas was more aggressive and used some firm grips on the head while Natan focused on his counter-attacks. Halfway through the fight, Natan made his move and pulled Jonnatas, aiming for a submission. However, Jonnatas put pressure on top, avoided his opponent's attacks, and ended up as the winner via unanimous decision.
Luiza Monteiro vs. Nathalie Ribeiro
A very balanced match between Luiza and Nathalie. With many foot attacks, both competitors sought to land the winning lock throughout the three rounds. At the end of it all, the referees unanimously chose Luiza as the winner.
“Big” Dan Manasoiu vs. Antonio Assef
Big Dan Manasoiu used his powerful moveset to earn a quick win over Antonio Assef. After dominating the underhook, Dan took Assef down and stayed above. Assef responded with an attack on the legs, but Big Dan used his know-how to counter-attack with an inside heel hook, ending the fight in less than a minute.
Sarah Galvão vs. Vitoria Gabriella
In the first match of the evening, Sarah and Vitoria showed the power of women's Jiu-Jitsu and the potential that the next generation holds. Vitoria had a great moment at the end of the first round when she almost managed to pass Sarah's guard using an over-under pass, but the latter defended well and returned in the following rounds gunning for a submission. In the second one, Sarah managed a double-leg takedown and put pressure on the top, but her efforts paid off in the third round when she used her pressure to reach Vitoria's back and end the match with a choke.
ADXC 1
Mubadala Arena, Abu Dhabi – UAE
October 20, 2023
Main Fights
Neiman Gracie defeated Ben Henderson via armbar (R4, 2:25)
Isaque Bahiense defeated Gustavo Batista via unanimous decision
Co-main Fights
Marvin Vettori defeated Tarek Suleiman via unanimous decision
Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu defeated Anton Minenko via unanimous decision
Main Card
Tayane Porfirio defeated Giovanna Jara via unanimous decision
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady defeated Islam Nader Reda via unanimous decision
Fabricio Andrey defeated Marcio Andre via split decision
Thalison Soares defeated Zayed Alkatheeri via unanimous decision
Marcin Held defeated Guram Kutateladze via armlock (R1, 2:14)
Prelims
Fellipe Andrew defeated Uanderson Ferreira via triangle choke (R1, 1:38)
Jonnatas Gracie defeated Natan Chueng via unanimous decision
Luiza Monteiro defeated Nathalie Ribeiro via unanimous decision
“Big” Dan Manasoiu defeated Antonio Assef via inside heel hook (R1, 0:56)
Sarah Galvão defeated Vitoria Gabriella via choke from the back (R3, 2:40)
