MMA enthusiasts are in for a treat this week as UFC fighter Rani Yahya comes to FitRepublik in Dubai Sports City to run open sessions with the general public.
Yahya has been with the FitRepublik team for the past week, working with coaches and helping out with training sessions. But the star turn of Yahya’s trip will come this weekend as the Brazilian runs workshops at the facility.
Two sessions will be available for both members and non-members and are open for viewing by the public, should you want to either learn from or simply study Yahya.
The first will run on Friday from 11:00 to 13:00, Yahya concluding his trip with Saturday’s 14:00 to 16:00 session.
“I’m staying here for eight days, for the whole week. I’ll be here helping the coaches and training too, doing all kinds of activities,” Yahya said. “I’ll be helping the classes and teaching the seminar on Friday, Saturday (30th/31st).
“I’ll be working with the students, teaching them and helping them on anything I can do, and also helping the coaches too.
“We’re going to exchange information about martial arts techniques and about how to teach and how to train.”
The 31-year-old Yahya is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, a three-time world jiu-jitsu champion and was crowned 2007 Abu-Dhabi Submission Wrestling world champion. Yahya joined UFC as part of its acquisition of World Extreme Cagefighting five years ago and moved from featherweight to bantamweight two years ago.
The transition has proven successful so far, Yahya unbeaten with two wins and one no contest out of his three fights at the new weight.
It has left Yahya 25th in the division’s bantamweight rankings and he is keen to carry the torch for his profession in the best possible manner.
“My goal is to be the best and be an example as a person for the people who follow me and spread the best message possible to them,” he explained.
And the Brazilian, part of a largesse of his country’s competitors in the UFC, believes his Brazilian jiu-jitsu style will help students with their progression.
“We have been in jiu-jitsu since the beginning,” said Yahya of Brazil’s rich history in MMA.
”The modern jiu-jitsu was developed in Brazil and also the mixed martial arts, the MMA, which is so popular now, the UFC began in Brazil with the talents they had.
“It begun there and it is still growing in Brazil so much.
“The country makes so many good athletes in jiu- jitsu and mixed martial arts and I believe I’m here.” FitRepublik opened its doors in January of this year and has been a huge success so far, enticing members in with its dedicated MMA section that includes a cage ring, boxing area, gym, crossfit facility and Olympic swimming pool and gymnastics offerings.
Natalie’s cafe also provides healthy food and drinks for people catching their breath after a session at the centre.
When: Friday, 30 October (11:00-13:00), Saturday, 31 October (14:00-16:00)
Where: FitRepublik Fitness Center, The Academies, Dubai Sports City, Dubai, UAE. P.O. Box: 126838
Contact: 04-556-1800, [email protected]
