ERBIL, Iraq –– Blaring hip-hop music, break-dancers, flashing lights and a large mixed martial arts (MMA) cage transformed the Erbil International Hotel into a compact sports arena on the evening of Sept. 14.
Fighters warming up in the hallways, punching into the air before stepping into the cage to jab, kick and grapple their opponents resembled a scene from an American film — however, this is Erbil and its first ever MMA event.
