Recently, UFC president, Dana White announced that they were going to do an Ultimate Fighter season in India somewhere in 2013. For those that don’t know, The Ultimate Fighter is an MMA reality show where various fighters compete against each other to get a contract to fight for the UFC and it has already seen international success with TUF: Brazil and TUF: The Smashes(Australia vs England) with many fighters from those countries in the UFC roster now. What this means is, fighters from India will be given a chance to fight for the UFC and potentially become champion one day.
The UFC has made a deal with SONY SIX for TUF: India but they also plan to organize live UFC events in India in the coming years. This is great news not just for Indian MMA but the whole South Asian MMA scene as neighboring countries will benefit from the UFC shows as MMA grows in popularity and more and more people start watching the sport, creating a larger audience and demand for local fighters, as everyone would like to see their country represented in a sport they follow, especially in an amazing spectacle such as MMA. If UFC shows experience the same success in India, as they do in countries like Brazil or Canada, MMA will be huge in the sub continent, maybe even surpassing the popularity of cricket in a few years!
As more and more international promotions show interest in Asian MMA(especially the sub continent region) the more opportunities open up for Pakistani fighters to fight internationally and get signed by international promotions, enabling them to fight abroad.
Another very successful MMA promotion, ONE FC has already started signing fighters from India, Pakistan, Thailand and various other South Asian countries, including PAKMMA founder, Bashir Ahmad. Bashir will be representing Pakistan in ONE FC around April this year and he will be the first Pakistani to fight for ONE FC.
At the current rate, in the coming years MMA will become extremely popular in the sub continent and many people would like to watch, train and compete in MMA all over the sub continent. Hopefully TUF: India will be a success and might help bring the UFC and The Ultimate Fighter to India’s next door neighbor Pakistan, so we may see more South Asian fighters in the Octagon in the next few years.
Posts Tagged ‘pakistan’
UFC coming to Pakistan?
PAK FIGHT CLUB 3: The Contenders
The last week of December was an awesome week for Pakistani MMA. There was not one but two MMA events, but for now I will cover the first one that took place on the 22nd at National Grammar School, Lahore i.e. Pak Fight Club 3: The Contenders.
Over the last two years Pak Fight Club(PFC) has proven itself as a top MMA promotion with its exciting fights, incredible atmosphere and ofcourse the beloved “Paktagon” itself. To those who don’t know, the Contenders event is a trial or precursor to becoming a fighter for the professional PFC events.
The fighters started arriving 5:30 PM along with spectators, first in ones and twos but then before I knew it, the venue got crowded and soon it was time to start. The first fight was between Awais Shah of Synergy MMA Lahore and Muhammadullah Zazai from K-1 Kickboxing gym, Peshawar. Awais Shah is a fairly experienced fighter having around 3-4 MMA matches and Zazai was making his MMA debut. However knowing Zazai’s impressive background in kickboxing, most of the crowd was counting on him to win this easily. The start of the fight seemed to support that too with Zazai exploding with a barrage of combinations, battering Awais early on, but he seemed to be hanging in there and managed to clinch. Soon the fight was brought to the ground and Zazai surprised everyone by getting Awais in an arm bar, which he barely escaped. Second round however was totally different with Awais making an amazing come back, getting in mount and dominating Zazai with ground and pound resulting in a TKO.
The next fight soon went underway between Ahmed Abbas of Synergy MMA and Ahmed Mujtaba of Team Fight Fortress Islamabad. Mujtaba pressed the pace on this one and the fight quickly ended on floor. At one point Ahmed Abbas almost got Mujtaba’s back but soon Ahmed Mujtaba started striking after getting mount, resulting in a TKO.
After that came Sarim Rahim of Synergy MMA vs Ali Haider Lodhi from Team Fight Fortress. Knowing both the fighters, it seemed to me like a very exciting match up, Sarim had good striking and jiujitsu while Ali has solid wrestling making this an interesting clash of styles. It was a very competitive match, with constant exchanges of combinations and Sarim almost getting a first round submission win. The rest of the rounds went the same way with, with both fighters pushing the action constantly, however it went the distance and resulted in a draw.
The following fight was Ahmed Qasmi of Synergy MMA vs Asghar Ali Changezi from Team Fight Fortress. This was also an exciting fight with lots of action both standing up and on the ground. Ahmed Qasmi struggled to get mount and carried out ground and pound to win via TKO.
After that came Ali Wahid from Synergy vs Usman Mirza from Team Fight Fortress Islamabad. Usman pushed the pace from the start of the fight, landing solid strikes and eventually taking the fight to the ground where he landed some heavy shots to Ali Wahid, however Ali managed to hang in there and eventually improve position near the end of the round. Second round was the same with Usman landing hard strikes standing up and then clinching and kneeing Ali in the body for the TKO win early on.
After that the hard hitting Idrees Zazai from Synergy MMA fought Harris Farooq from Anwar Karate Academy, Taxila. The round started with Idrees landing heavy hits from the start then taking it to the ground. Harris Farooq attempted a submission from the guard but was slammed and then Idrees started to connect with his hands. After some hard ground and pound Harris Farooq tapped out to strikes,giving Idrees the win.
The event’s last fight was between Muhammad ur Rehman from Shapes MMA Lahore vs Zubair Asghar from Synergy MMA. This started at a fast pace with both fighters swinging for the fences, however they both started showing signs of fatigue by the end of the round after battering each other with their best shots. The second round was mostly in the clinch or ground, with Zubair gaining dominant position and getting some punches to Muhammad while on the ground. The fight ended early in the third round with an accidently kick to the groin by Zubair resulting in Muhammad ur Rehman being unable to continue, causing a no contest.
Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the fights and Sheikh Sultan Shahid, CEO of VCL was present to promote another exciting day of fights three days after PFC, on the 25th billed as Vehshi Championship League: December to Remember!!
Photos courtesy Raja Ali
Summary of ONEFC ONEASIA Summit
From the 1st to the 3rd of June 2012, One Fighting Championship held the ONE Asia Summit at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino in Singapore. Industry leaders from across Asia, (over 150 from 20 some countries), were flown in for the three day meeting to discuss the growth of the sport in Asia, and network with other industry leaders who many knew only over the internet.
Representatives from Pakistan, Bashir Ahmad and Zain Shah of PAKMMA and Pak Fight Club respectively, were in attendance at the summit.
The first day of the summit was mostly people arriving at the hotel and getting settled in. In the evening, a cocktail party was held where the attendees got together to break the ice and get to know one another. Throughout the entire summit, business cards were being exchanged at every moment. The cocktail party, as well as the rest of the summit, was MC’d by History Channel’s “Human Weapon” host, Jason Chambers.
Day Two of the summit lasted from 9 am to 5 pm, during which time experts and guests from across the industry, ranging from gym owners, sponsors and promotion leaders, gave talks on various subjects regarding business matters related to MMA. They also discussed how to build the sport in Asia and how to get people to work together for a shared goal of creating a proper infrastructure for MMA.
After the presentations, the entire group of attendees went out for dinner at a private dining hall. The relaxed atmosphere gave the ONEFC network the opportunity to grow even more tightly bound as a team, and as posted on PAKMMA twitter, it “Became less like a network, and more like a family.”
The final day consisted of one more panel discussion, before the attendees were broken up into two groups to have more informal discussions on creating opportunities for gyms and fighters and on creating an amateur circuit. After this, there was lunch and a final wrap up by ONEFC CEO Victor Cui.
So that was the cut and dry synopsis of the summit for you PAKMMA fans out there. Now I will get a little more informal and tell you a more personal account of the experience and give a shout out to the great people I met at the summit.
First and foremost, big thanks to Victor Cui for making this happen. The summit was all expenses paid and was held at the nicest hotel in Singapore. I would have stayed at a homeless shelter if that were the requirement to make this sport grow, so to be taken care of so well means a lot.
The people at the summit were great and were all very passionate and supportive of what we are doing in Pakistan. Everyone understood the trials and tribulations we face, and we as a community I believe have earned their respect. For that, I thank you guys and the entire ONEFC network. Although I (Bashir Ahmad) may be the face and pioneer of all this, without you I am just one weird dude who decided to leave America to start MMA in Pakistan.
For all you people reading who want to get filled in on how this started, you can start by reading this.
“How did you end up in Pakistan?”
Then you can contact me and add a story about us on your website! ; )
PAKMMA Shin Guards
*Note: PAKMMA Shin guards are currently out of stock. If you would like to order some for yourself or gym or would like to make any other sort of custom MMA order please email info@pak-mma.com
PAKMMA shin guards are some of our most popular items. These neoprene backed shin guards slide on and have a nice snug fit that makes them perfect for use during grappling/striking sparring. These things will not slip off and will not in the way of your MMA sparring! Two layers of foam on the front and instep protection means that even when you up the power in your sparring sessions your not gonna end up on the floor hurt with a busted shin, which is something very important for new fighters who have not yet conditioned their shins.
Sleek and stylish with absolute functionality PAKMMA neoprene backed shinguards are something that are a must have for any aspiring fighter.
If your interested in ordering these shin guards with your club or brands logo please email info@pak-mma.com for ordering information.
Minimum order quantity of 10.
Current price: 25 US dollars per pair.
If interested in ordering any other type of training item to include BJJ gis, boxing gloves, MMA gloves we have those as well and can make them on order for your gym or your brand. Please contact us and see why we are the best option when buying in Pakistan and Asia PERIOD.
You can check out our catalog (work in progress) MMA EQUIPMENT IN PAKISTAN FROM PAKMMA
Baseline
I have been waiting for my package of Sunwarrior products for a few days now and expected it to come some time next week but it came a week earlier than expected and I have to say I am very excited!
Having been an athlete for a number of years, I have tried lots of supplements. I stick to a few basic ones year round, mostly natural stuff, spirulina, bee pollen and fish oil are my mainstays. Aside from these, I have tried many different proteins, green supplements, NO2, preworkout formula, post workout, from benign sounding “100% Protein” to the “SUPER SAVAGE MONSTER MATRIX” sounding type of stuff with lot of chemicals, a lot of jargon and crazy packaging that look like fireworks. So I was very happy to see something like Sunwarrior out there. I follow the raw/organic/whole/health food movement. I am really into learning about natural supplements, herbs, minerals, etc that can have a safe and profound effect on health and performance. c.
I am gonna put this stuff through a test over the next 8-10 weeks and see how my general health and physical performance change over this period.
I am gonna do a series of workouts over the next few days while I am in my baseline. At this time my physical fitness is good but great and not where it should be. I am hoping that Sunwarrior can take me to that next level. But before that I am going to use a number of crossfit workouts, weight lifting PR’s as a way of monitoring any improvements over the next 2 odd months. I will also take measurements of some of my vital stats, including cholesterol, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and sugar this weekend.
So day one of Sunwarrior here we go.
PAKMMA partners with ONEFC
Although this has been known for quite some time within Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan. It has been officially announced publicly that ONEFC and PAKMMA are now official partners. On October 26th 2011, ONEFC announced that they had forged the largest MMA network in history. ONEFC has partnered with the top teams, promotion and organizations all across Asia to form a giant network that is benefiting all. One of these teams and promotions is PAKMMA. What this means is that now PAKMMA has a direct route to the top fights all over Asia and for aspiring Pakistani fighters this is big news.
Victor Cui, CEO/Owner of ONE Fighting Championship, said, ”Our goal is to unify Asian MMA and to build the sport that we all love dearly. With today’s announcement, many of the top MMA organizations and gyms in Asia have joined hands. Given our current discussions with various parties, we will be announcing another 23 additional MMA organizations and gyms to the ONE FC Network in the coming days and weeks. These strong partnerships will help to accelerate the development of Asian fighters and the sport of MMA in the region. Asian fighters need platforms to gain invaluable experience and to showcase their skills to the world. If you are a ONE FC fighter, you will automatically be able to compete in the biggest MMA events across Asia within the ONE FC Network. If you are a sponsor, you will be able to leverage and target your sponsorship dollars across multiple platforms. If you are a fan, you will enjoy many more high quality MMA shows around Asia. Ultimately, as it continues to grow, the ONE FC Network will multiply in benefits for all parties involved.”
So guys get ready for more exciting news to come including WHO has been signed as well what this means for YOU.
“Where’s the Machines Yaar?”
Machines.machines, machines…Everyone wants machines. For the past couple of weeks, I am paying for the mistake of placing “body building” as one of things we are offering at our new gym Synergy Fitness Club, which absorbed my previous MMA gym Shaheen MMA. Because we are offering Cross Fit and have a decent number of free weights at the gym I figured I may as well put “Body Building” as one of the things you can do at the gym which is true because we have enough weight and basic racks (bench, squat) for the heavy exersices if one wanted to “bodybuild” I also put ”bodybuilding” on the sign because here people don’t really know what bodybuilding is. For many people here in Pakistan bodybuilding is about lifting weights and going tot he gym. That’s it. But by my definition, bodybuilding is lifting weights for the sole intention of looking large and muscular and when pursued seriously where you take part in competitions where you wear a thong, get oiled up and flex in front of a bunch of other men. That’s how I see it. But I figured since “bodybuilding” here is usually just getting big and ripped, the same reason guys in the West, “Hit the gym” or “Go lift.” So you can walk around like a douchebag, I figured I could put that on our sign since by training with us at Synergy you could get big and ripped and have all the tools necessary to be the biggest douche bag ever (please note my sarcasm)
Anyway, so what happened was after putting up the sign we started getting people in the gym after seeing the sign and wanting to know what the deal with bodybuilding was. The first thing they asked was, “Where are the machines?” I would tell people that we do functional fitness at the gym, with a focus on athletic performance and not beach bodies however, if you eat right and train hard, the way you look is naturally going to change. This seemed to fly over their heads. They would just look at me as if I were retarded and everything I had just told them was a total waste of their time. Honestly, maybe it was. Most of the people coming in seemed to have no interest in athleticism or physical performance and could not fathom that you would have to work, and work hard in a gym to get results. The people coming in were pretty much the same type of people that buy stuff off of infomercials convinced that THAT machine or gadget, yes, THAT one, was the answer to looking like an action star.
Well for all of you looking to be strong and athletic, I have some news for you. Machines are not the way to reach your goals. Now if you are a beginner and are at risk of possibly injuring yourself by lifting incorrectly, then yes machines are something that would help you get started before moving on to more functional training. If your trying to be just big and of course the added bonus of strong than looking for machines is not your answer. Look up your favorite body building hero and see what they REALLY do. I am not talking about opening a copy of flex magazine and seeing Bodybuilding “X”‘s training routine next to his sponsorship with “Meaner Weiner Muscle Juice.” I mean what they actually do in the gym. Chances are they use a lot of free weights.
What’s the difference between the two? That is an article within itself and something we will cover. But in the meantime, just google “Machines vs Freeweights” and see for yourself what the fitness world has to say.
Uloomi
Bashir Ahmad
