Adajar leads Pinoy contingent in UAE Warriors on Saturday

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino mixed martial arts fighter John Adajar might have gone off-road for the moment in chasing his UFC dream. But his UAE Warriors debut Saturday could lead him back.

Adajar (6-2) will face Abdulla Al Bousheiri (8-3) of Kuwait in a welterweight match. This will be Adajar's UAE Warriors debut, while Bousheiri has competed five-times in the promotion, posting a 2-2 record, including one no-contest.

The last time mixed martial arts fans saw Adajar was in the Road to the UFC tournament last June in Singapore where he lost to Korean Han Seul-Kim. The Filipino did well in the first round as he bounced back from an early blow by Kim to stagger the Korean.

Come the second round, a mistake by Adajar was seized upon by Kim, who forced him to submit via armbar.

In addition to Adajar, the Philippines will have two more representatives on the card. Arvin “Asintado” Chan (7-8) will meet Adel Ibrahim (3-0) in a 176lb catchweight bout and female Muay Thai star Coline Biron (1-1) continues her MMA journey against Turkish wrestling star Aysun Erge (2-0).

Chan last competed in the URCC in 2019 where he strung up four consecutive wins in the Philippines’ top MMA promotion.

Biron, on the other hand, recently fought in the Underground Battle MMA Championship last July 30 in Parañaque where she submitted Miracel Moneda in the first round. Her opponent, Erge, will be making a return to the cage after a lengthy lay-off. She won her first two matches via submission but last fought in 2019. 

The event will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, and will be streamed live around the world on UFC Fight Pass.