BAHRAIN fighters claimed nine medals - one gold, three silver and five bronze - in the 2018 IMMAF-WMMAA Unified World Championships at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town.
The biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) event of its kind in Asia was held under the patronage of Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and organised by BMMAF in partnership with International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and Brave Combat Federation.
It was part of Brave International Combat Week, the five-day, nation-vs-nation, amateur MMA tournament featuring 362 competitors from more than 50 nations across 16 weight divisions. The juniors tournament (for 18 to 20-year-olds) ran concurrently with the senior championships (for 18s+) and both events took place under Unified Amateur MMA Rules.
The closing ceremony was attended by Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Bahrain’s gold medal winner Pasha Kharkhachaev dedicated his medal to Shaikh Khalid.
“The success of the World MMA Championship was a result of the great support and direct interest of His Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Prime Minister,” said Shaikh Khalid.
Meanwhile, Abdul Kareem Al Selwady, the first Palestine to claim a MMA title, visited the KHK MMA Bahrain gym after winning the lightweight world championship title during the Brave International Combat Week.
He was accompanied by his father Husam Mubarak.
“I am proud to be at the very gym that I started a revolution in the world of MMA. I am proud to have won my title in Bahrain and in front of Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the founder KHK MMA,” said Al Selwady.
Bahrain winners:
Gold: Pasha Kharkhachaev (Male super heavyweight, 120.2kg)
Silver: Ebrahim Darwish (Boys junior strawweight, 52.2kgs); Mohammed Almuamari (Boys flyweight, 56.7 kg); Magomed Idrisov (Boys bantamweight, 61.2 kg)
Bronze: Ali Yaqoob (Boys junior bantamweight, 61.2 kg); Hasan Ayyad (Boys junior strawweight, 52.2 kg); Abdulmanap Magomedov (Boys, featherweight, 65.8 kg); Shamil Gimbatov (Boys, lightweight, 70.3 kg); Murad Guseinov (Boys, welterweight 77.1 kg)