PANJIM: The huge success of India’s first entertainment sport Combat Cage Fight (CCF) has propelled its fighters onto the international stage. Nelson Paes from Goa was chosen to represent the country at the Desert Force Championship in Dubai on January 25 for the event’s first show of 2016.
Paes, 28, said, “I am thrilled to have been selected to represent my country in a sport that I am so passionate about. Thanks to the exposure and opportunity offered by CCF over the last year, I now have a 2-win, 2-lose score card in the mixed martial arts scene and am striving for this important win at Desert Force, Dubai.”
The young fighter from the small village of Tivim in North Goa has worked hard over the last few years, battling the constant pressure of the sport and other obstacles to become one of India’s most well-known faces in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). His latest fight will see him take on Khadoum Al Kaabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the featherweight category in the pulsing heart of the Arab world.
He added, “This is the moment I have waited for my entire life – to represent my country India. I am currently training as hard as I possibly can, pushing myself beyond what I thought were my limits. I am confident of returning with a win that I know my family, state and country will be proud of.”
The Desert Force 20 will see 17 bouts – including four main card fights – in an exhilarating show of mixed martial arts skills at Sky Dive Dubai, Dubai Marina. Desert Force Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the UAE, and hosts most of the top-ranked Arab MMA fighters in the region. Through its televised programmes, it offers an excellent opportunity for upcoming fighters like Paes to showcase their skills on an international stage.
In India, CCF has been the first company to have harnessed the potential mass popularity of this sport under the entertainment sports umbrella. Over the past 12 months, it has organized and hosted four thrilling shows, featuring international fighters and women’s bouts.
CCF’s ventures have had an immense positive effect on India’s MMA scene, and it looks forward to taking its Fight Nights across the country in 2016 in association with India’s top event management production group Percept Live.
