MMA – Three of Bahrain’s elite mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters will battle for the world titles of their respective weight categories in the 2025 IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Reigning world champions Gimbat Magomedov and Gadzhi Gadzhiev, and aspiring youngster Arsen Suleimanov, all stormed into their gold medal bouts yesterday with impressive wins in their semi-final contests.
Magomedov made it to the senior men’s super welterweight 79.4kg final, while Gadzhiev marched through to the senior men’s super middleweight 88.4kg title-decider.
Both MMA stars are looking to secure a hat-trick of world championships at the Georgian capital.
Suleimanov, on the other hand, advanced to the junior men’s light heavyweight 93kg gold medal bout as he aims for his maiden world crown for Bahrain.
Magomedov and Gadzhiev will be stepping into the cage in their finals tomorrow, while Suleimanov will be looking to secure his gold medal today.
This year’s worlds are being held under the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) banner.
The event is one of the main attractions of BRAVE International Combat Week, under BRAVE Combat Federation.
Magomedov defeated Dias Osser from Kazakhstan by unanimous decision in their semi-final clash yesterday.
All three judges scored the fight 30-27 in favour of the 22-year-old Bahraini.
He will next be facing off with Mirza Gajievi of Georgia for their division’s title tomorrow.
Gajievi was a split-decision victor against Bohdan Voloshyn from Ukraine in the other semis match yesterday.
Magomedov is looking to repeat as world champion in the same weight-class.
His title triumph at last year’s worlds was his maiden world championship at the senior men’s level, after previously striking gold in the junior men’s welterweight 77.1kg category in 2023.
Gadzhiev, meanwhile, punched his ticket to his final with a unanimous decision win against Abdullo Abdulloev from Tajikistan.
Gadzhiev took their semi-final contest with all three judges scoring 30-27 in his favour.
The 23-year-old will now lock horns with Doszhan Yesbol from Kazakhstan in their final, also set for tomorrow as part of the worlds’ concluding day.
Yesbol won against David Idemudia from England by disqualification.
Gadzhiev clinched the super middleweight crown in 2024 and won the light heavyweight 93kg world title in 2023.
In the juniors, Suleimanov showed his class after defeating Denys Lushpaiev from Ukraine by unanimous decision.
All three judges scored the semi-final 29-28 for 20-year-old Suleimanov.
He will fight Iigilik Avazov of Kyrgyzstan in their final today. Avazov was a winner, also by unanimous decision, against Aslan Koshiyev of Kazakhstan in their semi-final yesterday.
This year’s worlds mark the second edition of the IMMAF event where champions are to be awarded official title belts.
Bahrain are assured of three medals from Tbilisi. Last year, they came away with four, including two gold, one silver, and one bronze.
Magomedov and Gadzhiev were the gold-medallists, Magomed Sheikhov captured the silver, and Sultan Gapizov won bronze in the senior men’s super heavyweight +97kg category.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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