The excitement for the premier amateur tournament in Asian MMA continues at an all-time high, with 38 bouts taking over Lahore, Pakistan, with several incredible performances highlighting the truly growing technical prowess of Asian amateur athletes.
The festival of stoppages was led by 2023 Asian champion, Tajikistan’s Ibrohim Rahimzod (pictured), who had a picture-perfect spinning-back kick to glide his way into another final, as he faces Kadyrbek Shinbayev, from Kazakhstan.
Elsewhere in the Junior divisions, there were big wins for Bahrain’s Ali Marhoon, Lebanon’s Mohammad Fakhreddine, and Pakistan’s Abdul Manan, who will all compete for Gold this Thursday.
In the Senior divisions, the Women kicked off their 2024 campaign in style, with several matchups showcasing the quality of Asian female MMA.
From Atomweight Gulnaz Abdrakhmanova to an epic clash between Pakistan’s Bano Butt and India’s Kushboo Nishad (won by Bano), the women brought amazing performances once again, including an amazing armbar victory for Adel Makhmetova.
In the Male Senior categories, the likes of Shahab Ali shined, as he led the home team back to the final following disappointment with the Silver medal last year.
He takes on dangerous Neimat Assadov, one of the standout names in the victorious Team Kazakhstan. Jovidon Mahmudov, from Tajikistan, set up an epic final match against Bahrain’s Gimbat Magomedov, while one of the top names in this world’s tournament, Gadzhi Gadzhiev, narrowly avoided defeat against Iran’s Saeed Ahmadvand. He will now face a final test to add another Gold medal to his extensve record against Abylay Shakirbekov.
The IMMAF 2024 Asian Championships concludes tomorrow in Lahore, Pakistan, with all final matches starting at 3pm local time (GMT+5). All matches will be available LIVE at immaf.tv.