ADXC 5: What to expect from the star-studded tournament in the Abu Dhabi

July 25, 2024

With just a week to go until August 2nd, fight fans worldwide are on the countdown for the fifth edition of the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship. Set to return to its roots in the UAE, the ADXC will once again set up its cage at the modern Mubadala Arena, putting on a beautiful and memorable show as some of the most prominent competitors from both Jiu-Jitsu and MMA put their grappling skills to the test in the gauntlet.

Speaking of talented athletes, the ADXC 5 has no shortage of them. With heavy hitters ready to put on their best performances with and without the gi, the tournament will feature 14 matches as it brings returning champions and rookies looking to write their names in the organization's history. With the entirety of the competition set to be broadcast live at the TX7.com platform, let's take a closer look at what the ADXC 5 fight night has in store for the fighting community.

MAIN EVENTS

Starring in the Grappling Main Event, MMA aces Urijah Faber and Bibiano Fernandes go toe-to-toe in the last match of the competition. A UFC Hall of Famer known by his moniker "The California Kid", the experienced Urijah Faber makes his ADXC debut and will be ready to use his nimbleness and technical depth to become the champion in the UAE. However, he'll have to contend with One Championship former Bantamweight champion Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes, a Brazilian athlete with 24 victories to his name and who started on Jiu-Jitsu before rising to prominence in MMA.

In the Jiu-Jitsu Main Event, Rayron Gracie and Marcos Carrozzino go up against one another for the ADXC 5 title. On one side, Rayron represents the Gracie Family as he returns to the organization's cage, coming from a win over Fellipe Andrew at ADXC 3 last March. On the other, three-time ADGS champion Marcos Carrozzino brings all the experience he accrued while fighting in the AJP to try and become the champion in his very first ADXC appearance.

CO-MAIN EVENTS

Clashing in the Grappling Co-Main Event, UFC veterans Chad Mendes and Kevin Lee step up to the merciless ADXC cage. With 18 victories in the Ultimate and a lot of mileage gained as a wrestler, Chad Mendes joins the ADXC for the first time and aims to use his knowledge of the terrain to gain the upper hand in the upcoming bout. A Brazilian powerhouse with 29 victories in mixed martial arts, Diego Brandão is more notably known for his performance on the 14th season of the reality show "The Ultimate Fighter", which landed him a spot at the UFC after a first-round submission in the event's grand finale. Since then, Diego kept competing and went on to butt heads with some of the most dangerous names in the sport, confidently shifting between strikes and submissions to face his many opponents. Now, Diego brings his nearly twenty years of experience competing in cages to make his debut in the ADXC, ready to feel the glory of becoming a champion in the beautiful Abu Dhabi..

In the Jiu-Jitsu Co-Main Event, Pedro Ramalho and Max Lindblad debut in the organization as they fight for the title in the UAE. An ADWPJJC 2023 champion, Pedro "Paquito" Ramalho is an experienced competitor out of Portugal who rose to prominence after conquering the aforementioned tournament's 77kg division and he'll be up against two-time ADGS champ Max Lindblad, a Swede competitor known in European circuits for his technical prowess.

MAIN CARD

Before the Main and Co-Main matches close the competition, the ADXC 5 has many thrills in store for fight fans in its Main Card. In the Lightweight division, AJ Agazarm and Ruan Alvarenga test their skills in a Grappling bout. AJ is a strong wrestler and veteran Gracie Barra competitor with titles earned both with and without the gi, but he'll be facing the ruthless Ruan Alvarenga, a black belt under Marcelo Garcia and Iran Brasileiro who has extensive experience competing without the gi.

Before that, heavyweights Felipe Bezerra and Vladimir Blium face-off in a Jiu-Jitsu bout. Current ADWPJJC champion in both the Professional and Master categories, Felipe Bezerra will be ready to use the powerful takedowns and strong positional control that recently landed him an ADGS gold in Rio de Janeiro to earn a win in his very first ADXC fight, but the Russian Vladimir Blium is well-equipped to foil those plans with his technical know-how and the experience he gained while traveling the world to compete in the AJP.

Another Grappling bout coming to the Main Card, Jonnatas Gracie and Burak Sarman clash in the Welterweight division. With two victories to his name in the organization, Jonnatas Gracie is back and armed with his aggressive fighting style to earn his third win in the UAE. On the other side, 2nd-degree Australian black belt Burak Sarman makes his first appearance in the ADXC, using both his experience as a competitor and the knowledge he gained as a Jiu-Jitsu professor to challenge Jonnatas' hegemony in the ADXC.

Debuting in the ADXC, Davi Vetoraci and Amin Boudhina join the roster with a Middleweight Jiu-Jitsu bout. A Portugal-based Brazilian competitor, Davi Vetoraci doubles as a professor at Focus Jiu-Jitsu, mixing technical depth and stamina to earn almost half of his wins in the AJP via submission. Meanwhile, the Tunisian brown belt Amin Boudhina brings his explosive game to the ADXC, entering the cage in high spirits after conquering the ADGS Istanbul gold last June, in a campaign that saw him submitting every single one of his opponents.

Still in the Main Card, heavyweights Pouya Rahmani and Hamdy Abdelwahab fight in a Grappling bout. With a victory on ADXC 2 last January, strongman Pouya Rahmani returns to the cage looking for another high-profile title and he'll be more than ready to use his wrestling takedowns to achieve his goal. This time around, however, he'll be up against Hamdy "The Hammer" Abdelwahab, an Egyptian MMA fighter who knocked out every opponent in his professional career and who'll be hungry to show he grapples just as well as he can strike.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Kicking off the action at ADXC 5, the Preliminary Card has five exciting matches to set the tone for the remainder of the tournament. In a Jiu-Jitsu bout, flyweights Omar Al Suwaidi and Samuel Marquez face each other while Seilkhan Bolatbek faces Emad Ahmedin in a Welterweight Grappling bout. Still in the card, Yara Kakish fights Zaifeiria Panagiotarakou in a Featherweight Jiu-Jitsu bout, and Xiaosong Shi goes up against Abe Alsaghir in a Welterweight Grappling bout. Last but not least, purple belts Balqees Alhashmi and Maria Odintsova open the tournament with a Jiu-Jitsu bout in the Atomweight division.

While the ADXC 5 card has now been revealed in its entirety, the organization still has some activities before the competition starts, so make sure to follow @adxcofficial on social media to stay up-to-date on all things ADXC and go to TX7.com to follow the action live on August 2nd. We'll see you in Abu Dhabi!

ADXC 5

Abu Dhabi, UAE

August 2nd, 2024

Main Event

Urijah Faber vs Bibiano Fernandes (Grappling Bout)

Rayron Gracie vs Marcos Carrozzino (Jiu-Jitsu Bout)

Co-Main Event

Chad Mendes vs Diego Brandão (Grappling Bout)

Pedro Ramalho vs Max Lindblad (Jiu-Jitsu Bout)

Main Card

Pouya Rahmani vs Hamdy Abdelwahab (Grappling Bout)

Felipe Bezerra vs Vladimir Blium (Jiu-Jitsu Bout)

AJ Agazarm vs Ruan Alvarenga (Grappling Bout)

Davi Vetoraci vs Amin Boudhina (Jiu-Jitsu Bout)

Jonnatas Gracie vs Burak Sarman (Jiu-Jitsu Bout)

Preliminary Card

Omar Al Suwaidi vs Samuel Marquez (Jiu-Jitsu Bout)

Seilkhan Bolatbek vs Emad Ahmedin (Grappling bout)

Yara Kakish vs Zaifeiria Panagiotarakou (Jiu-Jitsu bout)

Xiaosong Shi vs Abe Alsaghir (Grappling bout)

Balqees Al Hashmi vs Maria Odintsova (Jiu-Jitsu bout)