In an electrifying finale that captivated fans, Belgium’s own Iilyas Touba clinched the World Urbanball Fight (UBF) Championship title, defeating Egyptian powerhouse Essam Alaa. UBF Season 1 finals, presented by WOW Hydrate Middle East and organized by EX Sports, enthralled spectators as the world’s most exceptional street football talent vied for supremacy on Saturday, April 29th.
Held at the exhilarating BRED Abu Dhabi festival—a spectacular five-day celebration of street food, sports, music, and fashion—the 8-man knockout tournament showcased the meteoric rise of Urbanball Fight as a fast-growing professional sport.
Iilyas Touba kicked off the grueling knockout tournament in the quarter-finals, where he overcame UK Champ Amin Zahhar in a nail-biting showdown. He then faced Austrian titan Stefan “Fedi” Federer in the semi-finals, who had come off a crushing victory over Spain’s Juan Carlos. Displaying breathtaking skills, Iilyas secured his place in the finals with a spectacular KO victory.
The Championship match pitted Iilyas against Essam Alaa, who had dominated his way through the tournament by defeating GCC Champ Hatim and Brazil Champ Gui. In a heart-stopping, back-and-forth contest that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, Iilyas and Essam demonstrated exceptional technical skills, rapid footwork, and relentless determination. The exhilarating, hard-fought battle showcased Iilyas’s remarkable strength, stamina, skill, and poise, ultimately leading to his triumph as the Season 1 World Urbanball Fight Champion.
Presented with the trophy by legendary freestyle footballer and CEO of Urbanball, Sean Garnier, Iilyas was ecstatic, as hundreds of adoring fans mobbed him to celebrate his awe-inspiring achievement.
The UBF Season 1 finals culminated in a thrilling display of the world’s most extraordinary street football talent, setting the stage for Season 2, which promises to be even bigger, better, and more inclusive of the finest UBF athletes from around the globe.
