1. Your fight is going to be during Ramadan. How has that effected your training?

a) Yes my fight is not just going to be in ramadhan, but in the UK may fall on Eid day itself!! I kind of misjudged the timing of Ramadhan this year round and normally refrain from any kind of competition around this time of the year. But with the fight being on Sept 11th I have had to observe ramadhan on a part time basis. So training hasnt really been affected at all really.

2. Do you know who your opponent is? Anything you can tell us about him?

a) Yes my opponent is a guy called Ben Abbot who is fighting out of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. I believe he has a stand up background in Muay Thai, thats all I know to be honest.

3. Have you made any changes to your training regimen for this upcoming bout?

a) I have seriously been working on my ground game, my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu both with Gi and without. Ive been training my no Gi BJJ with Przemyslaw Mysiala who is no1 ranked Light Heavy Weight in the UK at the moment at London Shootfighters and Im really enjoying the grappling element of MMA at the moment. Im even considering competing in some BJJ bouts in the near future!
Other than that Ive still been keeping up with my strength and conditioning, cardio and sparring with my team mates Denniston ‘mad max’ Sutherland and my coach David Lee. As its MMA and everything has to be worked on Im afraid!!

4. You will be donating 100% of your fight purse to the Pakistani flood victims, what motivated you to make such a sacrifice?

a) I decided to donate all my fight purse, ticket commission, sponsership money etc to the flood victims of Pakistan as firstly being Pakistani I felt a need to naturally do something, and it just broke my heart seeing pictures and videos on the News every day of the devastation caused by the monsoon, the death toll and on top of that it is the month of Ramadhan and for people going through all the suffering. Its just horrible to think that the world isnt doing enough for these people in desperate need at this moment in time. My prayers and thoughts go to all those affected and involved. God is great and I hope he shows mercy upon those affected. On Sept 11th I shall be fighting for all those victims.

5. Will Pakistani fans be able to watch the fight anyway?

Yes Pakistani fans will be able to watch the fight on www.theactivechannel.com under the fighting section it will be broadcasted usually a couple of weeks after the show on Sky digital channel 281 (The active channel) formerly known as LA Muscle TV

I am also fighting on the 25th of September on a big show called BAMMA 4 which will highlight Alex Reid Vs Tom Watson.
Im fighting on the undercard slot and against a guy called Tom Breese who is making his Pro debut after a successful 8-0-0 at semi pro, so hard work will continue after Kayo MMA on the 11th, no rest for me!!

BAMMA 4 will be shown a week after the show on Bravo channel on sky digital and hopefully they may show the fight.

Other than that, I’ll probably do a training camp out in the USA or in Thailand end of year / early next year and to just keep training and improving.

I also want to give my congratulations to PAK MMA and Shaheen MMA Academy for getting a good spread in last months Fighters Only magazine (I have my copy) and was so pleased to see the article on the rise of MMA in Pakistan and with the mention of future stars. This definately has made an impression on people over here in the UK as a few people had mentioned it to me and were surprised that MMA was actually taking off in Pakistan.

MMA in Pakistan may be a new entity, but I dont think, I KNOW that a Pakistani will be up there and amongst the very best in the world in the future. Just keep training folks and spread the word….

MMA Pakistan is committed to the sport of MMA and is proud to know that Pakistan is a leading global producer in MMA gear. We hold high standards for ourselves and expect the same from the manufacturers that we do dealings with.

More information regarding this to be detailed soon!

After Ramadan, Shaheen MMA Academy will begin expanding it’s classes to include a beginners class in which new students will learn the fundamental techniques required to join the regular classes. This new beginners class will best prepare new students to easily transition into training with more experienced Mixed Martial Artists.
Another addition is the scheduling of a permanent full time Junior Shaheen MMA class. Shaheen Mixed Martial Arts held a three month summer camp that turned out to be a huge success, with parents calling for a permanent class for their kids. Junior Shaheen MMA students learn the same skills as the adult classes but a in a full, cheerful environment more suited towards children with a stronger emphasis on character building and personal discipline.

And finally Shaheen MMA Academy will be holding weekly street self defense classes that will confront some of the current threats that Pakistani’s today face such as robbery, terrorism and kidnapping. The self defense classes are a month long after which participants will be certified in basic street self defense. These classes are to be held every Saturday from 1-3 pm and will start after Ramadan.

Shaheen MMA Academy has already a number of competition and will continue to do so in the future. These are small competitions designed to give Shaheen MMA students real time experience in MMA competition without the pressure of a large event.

For more information on Shaheen MMA Academy, please visit the website or call 0334 413 7706.

I dove head-first into professional combat sports. Training for a few months before my Thai
Boxing debut in Phuket,Thailand and that lack of experience and know-how showing in the ring.
I fought an Australian , Taizo Hughes, who had several fights at local stadiums and was from
a pretty hardcore gym. Taizo battered me for the first three rounds of our fight. Leg kicks, head
kicks, hooks…its was a massacre. Both of my eyes were swollen shut and my nose trickling
blood down my throat, which I have to say wasn’t the most pleasant of tastes. The fourth round
begins and I notice Taizo is starting to tire and I…being the naïve seventeen year old I was at
the time decided to throw a spinning back-fist.

Guess what? It landed.

Taizo was knocked down and got up after an eight count but I knew the fight was over as
I chased him to a corner and the referee stopped the bout due to “Technical Knock Out “.
Why was that story necessary? Because at the end of those three rounds of getting my
ass beat, I was happier than I’d ever been. Standing half-naked and sweaty infront of
a crowd of people I’d never met, all of them judging my poor technique and wondering
why I hadn’t gone down yet. Covered in blood and sweat…I had finally found my calling.
So why do I fight ? Is it because I have family problems or because I was bullied in school? Is it
because I’m too stupid to get a desk job or go to college?

I don’t know to be quite honest. I think its because there’s something inherently wrong with
the way I function. My brain works differently. I like getting punched in the fucking face
and I like smiling at the guy who’s doing it. I like pushing myself in training to the brink of
unconsciousness and then doing it again the next day.

Lots of people I know who are involved with combat sports from boxing to Mixed Martial
Arts insist on calling themselves Martial Artists or “students of the game” . As pretentious
and crazy as it sounds… I am not a martial artist or a student of any game. I’m a crazy
person who learns how to hit people different ways and then goes does it and gets paid.
Why do I like to make my living from getting punched in the face?

I’ll tell you why. Because everyone said I couldn’t do it. They said I was crazy and that one day
I’d have to get a real job. I think I don’t fight for the right reasons, or ones that entirely make
sense but I do know that nothing has ever made me happier than staring across the ring at
someone, blood smeared face and smiling. Letting them know that you’re coming and not done
getting your face beat just yet.

While this was supposed to be an informative article for Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan , I think its
turned into a confessional.

My name is Haider Qayyum, I’m a professional fighter and I like punching things.

Recently Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan was informed by Shaheen MMA Academy and Elite Fitness about another Shaheen Smoker that is about to take place on the 4th of July. This Smoker will feature fighters from the previous events as well as new participants, the competition is being held under MMA rules and those who wish to participate or even train for the event can contact Shaheen MMA Academy and Elite Fitness at info@shaheen-academy.com or call 0334-4137706.

In other news Shaheen MMA Academy and Elite Fitness is offering a one time only kids summer camp, which is open to kids from the age of 5-13. The academy is offering fitness classes, as well as classes in Kickboxing, Brazilian JiuJitsu, Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The summer camp has received good response and spots are being taken up, so if you don’t want your kid wasting the summer watching TV and spending hours on the computer and instead have them learn useful techniques to defend him/her self and grow self-confidence, contact Shaheen MMA Academy and Elite Fitness at info@shaheen-mma.com

For those in the Lahore area a Children’s Fun and Fitness Summer camp is to be set up at Shaheen Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Defence, Lahore. The summer camp will cover the basic of Mixed Martial Arts, to include, boxing, wrestling, kick boxing and jiu jitsu. Majority of the class is conducted in English so it is a good oppurtunity for your children to improve their language skills.

It is advised that those who are in Lahore for the summer take advantage of this opportunity while seats last. The timings for the summer camp will be from 10 am – 12 pm June 1st – August 31st and 3-5 pm June 20th- August 20th. Shaheen MMA Academy is the top choice for a Martial Arts camp as it is the only facility of it’s kind in Pakistan and perfect for children as it is in a pleasant environment, in a padded area for your children’s safety.

For more information please contact Shaheen Gym Owner, Bashir Ahmad at 0334 413 7706.

For pictures of Shaheen MMA Academy please click on Shaheen Martial Arts

The seminar will also serve as a recruiting point for any one wishing to be part of the Fite Selektor reality show that is to be possibly held in the coming months. Please note that due to current state of Pakistan, a timely date for Fite Selektor cannot be released nor confirmed until a few weeks before the event.

For inquiries about the event and any further information please email info@pak-mma.com

Thanks!