UAE: From watching on TV as a teen to preparing to fight in one, meet the first Emirati UFC fighter

Like many teenager,s Mohammed Yahya enjoyed watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and then mock wrestling with his elder brother. Today, the 29-year-old Dubai-based athlete has scripted history by becoming the first Emirati to be enlisted as a UFC fighter.

"This was my dream from when I was 14, and it has finally come true," said Yahya, speaking to Khaleej Times.

Yahya is expected to debut in front of a home crowd at UFC 294 in October at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Headquartered in Las Vegas, the UFC is one of the biggest and most reputed mixed martial arts (MMA) promoters and stages fights worldwide across 12 weight divisions.

"I dreamt about it, I worked hard for it and I had trust in God," he said. "So, I knew this day would come, and I just had to be ready for it. I have been training for it ever since I went professional at the age of 18."

Family support

Yahya's elder brother introduced him to MMA. "He is the one who showed me UFC fights (on TV), and from the first time I saw it, I knew that this was my destiny," he said.

His obsession with the sport led him to begin learning kickboxing at 14. "At the time, there were not many gyms that offered MMA or kickboxing classes," he said. "So, I researched and found one."

Although he wanted to drop out of school and pursue kickboxing full-time, his mother didn't let him do so. "As soon as I finished high school, I turned professional," he said. "And my family were supportive because they could see my dedication. I had never been this focused on anything in my life."

He shared a funny incident when he took down his brother. "Since he was older and bigger than me, he would often beat me up when we fought. Once, after I started training, he was jostling around with me, and I did a takedown. After years of being the smaller, defeated, it felt good to take him down," he chuckled.

His family was the most nervous ahead of his first fight. "They were understandably very nervous," he said. "But when they saw me winning all my fights, they were very excited. Today my parents and my brother are my biggest supporters. So are my cousins who I grew up with."

Training

With his focus on the UFC, Yahya has been training hard for over ten years. "The nature of training varies on whether a fight is around the corner," he said. "But on a regular day, I spend about 6 hours in the gym," he said. "I work on my strength, stamina and endurance."

He posted a video of his workout on Instagram:

Yahya also practices Jiu-Jitsu drills, padwork and circuit training. "What I enjoy the most about being a professional fighter is that I can do what I love all day," he said. "I have always believed in myself. No one ever had to get me to the gym and motivate me to train. Going to UFC was a dream and I have been steadily working towards it."

Yahya trains out of the TK MMA Fit gym in Media City and is managed by gym founder Tam Khan.

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