One of football's greatest legends is heading for Jordan. Brazilian magician Ronaldinho touches down in the Kingdom on 29 and 30 October for an exceptional visit to attend "Jordan Mixed Martial Arts Week", a showcase designed to boost sports tourism and put the Kingdom's historical destinations in the spotlight.
Ronaldinho fired off an enthusiastic message to Jordanian fans in a short Instagram video, telling them how much he's looking forward to meeting them and being among them at this high-profile sporting event. He urged everyone to get involved and turn up.
Running from 27 October under the supervision of the Jordan MMA Federation, the showcase will be crowned by the major fight night "DF: UNCAGED" (Delta Force Uncaged) on Friday 30 October. The venue is the heart of the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman, and organisers expect it to rank among the biggest events in the history of mixed martial arts across the Arab world.
Thirteen professional bouts make up the card, featuring an elite group of Jordanian and international fighters, with open training sessions laid on in the Dead Sea area.
One blockbuster clash towers over the rest. Circassian champion Mohamed Barkhamov, who hails from the Caucasus, held the ACA title and fought in Bellator, and belongs to the team of two legends in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, takes on promising Jordanian star Abdullah Jawish, who carries the Kingdom's hopes into this historic bout.
Capping it all is the closing night at the Roman Amphitheatre, where an exceptional constellation of stars and prominent figures will gather. World boxing legend Mike Tyson leads the way, joined by MMA star Islam Makhachev and the magician Ronaldinho.