Ahead of the big fight, the athlete, who is regarded as one of the best Arab fighters in the brown/black divisions of the AJP, said she was ready for any challenge that might come her way. 

Kakish was seen interviewing the fighters at the inaugural edition of the event, but she stressed that fighting has always been her priority. "I always wanted to get in the cage first. That was always my first goal. But for the first one (ADXC 1) I had the opportunity to be on the media side. As a black belt, I thought I would use my expertise to interview the athletes, but my intention was always to fight first," said Kakish. 

"As for the top game, I've developed it over the years. I have an advanced sequence of fast passing, and loose passing that I enjoy a lot. On the ground, I've developed different submission systems that I use from closed guard, open guard, lapel, and octopus guard. These are some of the things that I like to attack with," added Kakish.

Kakish is excited to represent Jordan on the big stage, pointing out that her country was one of the first Arab countries to introduce jiu-jitsu as a sport. "Being a woman among the limited number of black belts in the Arab world is something that will help open the door for other Arab athletes to reach this professional level. Not having the comfort of an environment based solely on jiu-jitsu makes me work harder, study more and delve into the details of the sport," she commented. 

Kakish, who prefers to focus on her strategy rather than on her opponents, knows that Ferreira will be a strong opponent. "I know she has a very well rounded guard and specific attacks from the closed guard. I'm prepared for her as I am for any high level black belt. I'm ready for any situation, and aim to be aggressive and disrupt her game from the start," she added. 

"My martial arts background, including a black belt in kickboxing, has exposed me to different environments. I've been training in the cage to prepare for this competition," Kakish noted.

The ADXC competitions have specific rules, with standard bouts consisting of three rounds of three minutes each, separated by a one-minute break. "Even though it's only three minutes, looking for submissions and keeping up the pace makes it feel like a long time. I'm focusing on cardio and getting ready for those rounds. There are tactical aspects we're working on in camp that we'll announce after the fight." 

The Jordanians and Arabs have been very supportive. "I have received many messages of support. Many are proud to see someone make it to the big stage. I hope this will open the door and make it easier for others to follow this path. When other women see it happen, it feels more achievable than just an idea," she stressed. 

Emily Ferreira is also making her ADXC debut and is determined to win. A black belt and coach at Bastos Jiu-Jitsu, under the tutelage of Bruno Bastos himself, Emily brings experience from achieving a silver medal at the ADWPJJC. She aims to use her technical insight to gain the upper hand in the unforgiving ADXC cage. 

The second edition of the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship takes place on 19 January at the Mubadala Arena in the United Arab Emirates. Headlined by a grappling main event between Aljamain Sterling and Chase Hooper, ADXC 2 will feature 13 other explosive fights.