Gripped by grappling: The explosive rise of mixed martial arts in Qatar

Interest in mixed martial arts has increased significantly across Qatar and the region. So much so that the Ultimate Fighting Championship, better known as the UFC, has opened two new gyms in the Arab country. 

While the term combat sports may sound aggressive, the fighters say the beauty is in the art of self-defence. Tatie Passos runs the jiu-jitsu programme in the new gym. The Brazilian coach often trains once, twice, sometimes even three times a day.

"The base of every single martial art is to protect yourself, to defend yourself. So, [in] any group classes, we offer this," said Tatie Passos, Head Coach at UFC Gym Qatar.

"One class is more based on grappling, like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. Other classes are more on striking like boxing and Muay Thai."

"What we’re trying to do here [is to] create a very good team, a very good training environment that's open for everyone [...] Martial arts teach you a lot of life lessons. The lessons you learn [are] not just applicable on the mat. If they learn to be more humble, they learn about discipline, they learn about respect."

Chris Bothwell arrived in Doha 13 years ago and loves the brotherhood he built on the mat.

"I've always been into my contact sports. And I love that we can train our whole body whilst we're doing the sport. Not only that but whenever I am training, there's a real camaraderie between everyone who does train," Chris told Qatar365.

It’s not really a fight club, but more like a fight community. The participants here range in age and skill, but all share a common love for the sport of mixed martial arts.

Saeed Kosar is the Managing Director at UFC Gym Qatar. He has lived in Qatar for more than two decades. While he grew up playing another sport in Canada