UFC Fighters Team up with Belfast Giants for Ice Hockey Masterclass

Next Saturday night, the UFC returns to British soil –UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2 takes place in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As the local ice hockey club, the Belfast Giants, prepare for a competition this weekend too, a group of UFC fighters joined the hockey players to ‘exchange some hints and tips’. In order to celebrate the UFC’s return to the city of Belfast, the promotion’s stars Artem Lobov, Neil Seery, and Brad Pickett were invited to watch the Giants prepare at the Dundonald Ice Bowl for their clashes with the Dundee Stars and the Sheffield Steelers this weekend. Besides sharing experiences within their respective sports, the fighters and players discussed similarities and differences between ‘arguably two of the most highly disciplined and physical sports in the world’ - ice hockey and mixed martial arts. Artem Lobov who trains in Dublin and is to fight Teruto Ishihara on UFC Fight Night 99’s main card said about their visit at the hockey statium: “I absolutely loved it. They’re great athletes and it’s a great sport. The only thing is it was so cold that I thought I was back in Russia! You can always learn from top athletes. It’s a very tough sport, very explosive and very dynamic. You can definitely learn loads from athletes like that.” The session was one of the activities hosted by the UFC in Belfast this week. Next are the live weigh-ins on Friday, November 18th which are open to the public and free to attend. The ceremonial weigh-ins follows a live Q&A with Brad Pickett, Paul Felder and Elias Theodorou.