- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:28 05:46 12:20 15:47 18:49 20:07
The fighters pose with organisers at the press conference ahead of GFC4 in Dubai. (SUPPLIED)
The fourth Global Fighting Championship (GFC) hosted by Golden Cage Promotion and Events, in association with Dubai Sports Council will be held at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on Thursday October 16.
Doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 8pm.
It will consist of a total of ten super-action fights with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and kickboxing champions aiming to win a place in the end of season 'GFC Grand Prix', along with a four-man tournament to win a cash prize of Dh 1 million.
However, reigning GFC champion Badr Hari who is billed to fight against French challenger Patrice Quarteron in a 'Super Fight' was a 'no-show' at a chaotic press conference held on Tuesday in Dubai.
The winner of GFC3 in May did not turn up with Quarteron making a grand entry wearing a traditional Arabic garb and then ranting 'Where is Badri?' several times before making an exit.
'Prince' Amir Shafypour, Promoter and Managing Director at Golden Cage Promotions and Events, assured media and fight fans that Hari will be there on fight night.
"It will be happen. Quarteron has come to fight Badri," said Prince Amir who was visibly upset by the absence of the Dutch fighter of Moroccan origin.
The GFC is a world-class international event bringing in the biggest and the best names in martial arts to Dubai.
The four-man tournament on Thursday will witness international heavyweights such as Ismail Lazaar, Tai Tuivasa, Mohammad Karim and Melvin Manhoef fight among themselves in a knockout format.
The winners from the semifinals will move on to the final with the champion walking away with the Dh 1 million bonus.
Prince Amir, said: “We made a promise and we have delivered on this promise in such a short time. The third edition of the GFC held in May was a huge success. And looking at the strong field here, we are confident we will do even better this weekend. I believe in growing step by step and this week’s fight night will be yet another display of spectacular entertainment for the fans.”
Thursday’s GFC is the second round of a series of fights that have been planned to take place in other parts of the Middle East and Europe, including Turkey, Holland and Morocco over the next couple of months.
At the end of each GFC edition there will be one champion, who gets the opportunity to battle it out at the end of season 'GFC Grand Prix'. The overall ‘champion of champions’ will then walk away with the grand prize of $1 million.
“We have made a good start to this unique concept keeping entertainment and the spectators in mind. We are constantly looking at innovating and taking the GFC series further so that everyone involved stays in a win-win situation,” Prince Amir added.
Tickets are available online via Platinum List, Virgin Tickets and Time Out Tickets and at retail outlets like ENOC/EPPCO Zoom petrol pump stations and The Champion Club located at the Jumeirah Lake Towers.
For more information, call +97150-9036222
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