UAE’s mixed martial arts team make history with record 12 medal haul at IMMAF Youth World Championships

MMA fighters from the UAE did the nation proud by surpassing all expectations at the 4th IMMAF Youth World Championships which concluded on Saturday at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena.

The UAE National Team enjoyed a historic run through the four-day championship which saw them win a record 12 medals overall, including 4 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze. This was a significant improvement to last year’s event where they won four medals in total.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the IMMAF Youth World Championships came to a thrilling finale before a packed house of fans.

Ukraine topped the overall medal table followed by Unites States in the second place and Tajikistan in the third.

UAE athletes Fahad Al Hammadi (Youth A/70.3 KG division), Ghala Al Hammadi (Youth B/40 KG division), Saif Alblooshi (Youth C/40 Kg division), and Zamzam Al Hammadi (Youth B/52 KG division) all won gold medals.

Brigadier Mohammed bin Dalmouj Al Dhaheri, Board Member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation and Chairman of the Federation’s Mixed Martial Arts Committee, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the Championship as well as the performance of the National Team.

“The remarkable organization and resounding success of the championship, which we proudly hosted for the second consecutive year, can be attributed to the unwavering support from the UAE’s visionary leadership and their continuous guidance for the country’s sports and athletes,” said Al Dhaheri.

“The successful conclusion of the championship has once again solidified the UAE’s reputation as the world’s MMA capital. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the National Team for their outstanding performance of securing a historic 12 medals.

"Our aim is to build on this success in the upcoming edition of the World Mixed Martial Arts Championship, which will be hosted by Abu Dhabi next year," he added.

“We also express our appreciation to all the administrative and technical staff who dedicatedly supervised the national team’s preparations throughout the year-long journey,.

“We are resolute in our commitment to continue nurturing and developing young talents who will become the backbone of our national team, symbolizing the continuity of excellence across generations," added Al Dhaheri.

Sevara Sadulloeva of Uzbekistan, who won gold in the 47.7 KG category, expressed her happiness at her performance on Saturday.

“I am incredibly grateful for this moment. The medal is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and support of my team and my country. This victory fills my heart with joy and motivates me to strive for even greater heights in my athletic journey,” she said.

Mohamed Dagher, President of the Lebanese Mixed Martial Arts Federation, was full of praise for the enthusiastic sports atmosphere and the professional manner in which the championship was organized.

“The Lebanese national team participated in the tournament with 16 male and female players,” he said. |”We came to the UAE with great ambitions after a stage of preparations leading up to the tournament.

“We can definitely say that these efforts didn’t go in vain, as our talented athletes like Lamar Muhammad and Omar Antar have performed incredibly well, exceeding our expectations.”

Dagher also congratulated the UAE team and its wonderful harvest of medals, saying it reflected the great efforts and team work carried out by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federations.

Mikheili Meskhi, the coach of the Georgian team, said that Abu Dhabi IMMAF Youth World Championship was the best that one could have asked for.

“In the past few years, I have been following how Abu Dhabi has been hosting quite a few global sporting events, especially in combat sports,” he said.

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“Given Abu Dhabi’s experience and world-class infrastructure, it’s not surprising that the MMA youth championship was organized so well. It has truly been a great experience to participate here, with our athletes competing against some of the best.

“It’s a valuable learning experience as they get to test their s skills in an international environment.”

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