��������Ƶ

ABU DHABI: Emiratis Zayed Alkatheeri, Khaled Al-Shehhi, Mohammed Alsuwaidi and Asma Alhosani on Friday secured their spots in the finals of the professional black belt division at the 16th Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

The finals will will take place on Saturday at Mubadala Arena, and will feature four Emirati athletes for the first time since the championship’s inception.

Representing Baniyas Club, Alhosani has made history by becoming the first Emirati woman to qualify for the professional finals in the women’s brown/black belt category. She achieved the milestone after defeating France’s Lina Grosset from School of Champs in the 55 kg division.

“I am very proud to be the first Emirati woman to reach the final in the women’s brown/black belt division at this world championship,” Alhosani said. “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our wise leadership and the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. I eagerly look forward to the final, where I aim to win gold and stand on the podium.”

In the men’s 62 kg men’s division, Al-Ain Club’s Khaled Al-Shehhi secured his place in the finals after defeating Ecuadorian Enrique Guerrero.

“Reaching the final for the second consecutive year is a significant step in my career,” he said. “I’m determined to give my best performance and win the gold medal and the championship belt. Last year’s silver medal motivated me to improve my skills, refine my strategy, and work harder throughout the year. My goal tomorrow (Saturday) is to take gold.”

Meanwhile, Zayed Alkatheeri, representing Abu Dhabi Police Academy, also advanced to the finals. Alkatheeri, who made history in 2022 as the first Emirati to win gold in the black belt division, defeated Armenian Rafayel Kostanyan from Legacy Jiu-Jitsu Armenia.

“I’m thrilled with my performance today and excited about the opportunity to reclaim the title,” Alkatheeri said. “I’m confident in my abilities and ready to compete against one of the best athletes in the world. Tomorrow is my chance to showcase my skills and prove my progress.”

Elsewhere, Mohammed Alsuwaidi from Al-Wahda Jiu-Jitsu Academy secured his place in the 69 kg final after overcoming Brazilian Raimundo Sodre from Clube Feijao in the semifinal. “I am so glad I made it to the finals in the black belt division. I’m really looking forward to the final tomorrow. I’ve done all the preparations right, so I am confident I will do my best to win the title,” he said.

ARLINGTON, Texas: Jake Paul won a unanimous decision over Mike Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Friday night.

All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, with Paul even stopping to pay homage with a bow to Tyson before the final bell sounded at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73.

Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn’t try much else the rest of the way.

Even fewer rounds and shorter rounds couldn’t do much to generate action for a 58-year-old in his first sanctioned pro fight in almost 20 years, facing a boxing neophyte with hopes of fighting for championships somewhere in the future.

Paul was more aggressive after the quickly burst from Tyson in the opening seconds, but the punching wasn’t very efficient. There were quite a few wild swings and misses.

Tyson mostly sat back and waited for Paul to come to him, with a few exceptions. It was quite the contract the co-main event, another slugfest in which Katie Taylor kept her undisputed super lightweight championship with a decision over Amanda Serrano.

It was the first sanctioned fight since 2005 for Tyson. Paul started fighting a little more than four years ago.

The fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.