Otabek Umarov, UFC Chief Dana White Discuss Tashkent Event

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The First Vice-Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and Vice-President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Otabek Umarov, held an official meeting in the United States with Dana White, the president of the world's largest mixed martial arts organization, UFC. During the negotiations, the parties discussed global trends in the sports industry and outlined vectors for long-term partnership.

The UFC head familiarized the Uzbekistani delegation in detail with the current activities of the promotion, its internal infrastructure, and strategic development plans on the international stage. Meeting participants paid special attention to the social aspects of sports, including the popularization of professional martial arts among youth, the promotion of healthy lifestyle principles, and support for large-scale sporting initiatives.

A major focus of the discussion centered on the prospects of integrating Uzbekistan into the global martial arts tournament framework. Taking into account the high international prestige of the Uzbek boxing school and the presence of world-class athletes in the republic, an initiative was put forward to organize ZUFFA Boxing competitions in Uzbekistan under the auspices of the UFC.

Furthermore, Otabek Umarov and Dana White substantively reviewed the possibility of hosting an official UFC tournament in Tashkent in the future. This initiative is driven by the steady growth in the number of Uzbekistani fighters regularly competing in the American promotion's bouts, as well as the progressive development of the mixed martial arts industry within the republic.