Abdul Kareem Al Selwady, Mhamad Karaki, Aniss Al Hajjajy and Haidar Rasheed each win the title of “Desert Force Champion”, in the four different weight categories.
After four intense rounds which happened throughout the past year, the first ever Arab MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) championship, Desert Force, came to a close. The competition concluded in Amman, Jordan with the awarding of titles to four fighters in the different weight categories. The fact that this was the first Desert Force MMA Arab Champion event makes this a particularly momentous occasion. The new title holders are shown below:
The First Arab MMA Championship
– Welterweight Category – Moroccan Aniss Al Hajjajy triumphed over Egyptian Amr Wahman by TKO (punches) in Round 1
– Light Heavyweight Category – Mhahad Karaki from Lebanon defeated Syrian Feras Saadeh by TKO (punches) in Round 1
– Lightweight Category – Jordanian haider Rashid beat Kuwaiti opponent Ahmed Al Boussairy by an impressive Rear Naked Choke in Round 1
– Featherweight Category – The night came to an exciting conclusion with the terrific win of Abdel Kareem Al Selwady from Jordan, over Kuwaiti opponent Yousef Al Hamad in an amazing knockout (punches) in Round 1.
It came as a bit of a shock to many of the Desert Force that a handful of some of the most famous celebrities in the Arab world turned up to the event. These celebrities flew in to Amman from various different parts of the area to support all 16 MMA fighters and to witness the awarding of title to the first Arabic MMA champion. The celebrities who showed face included Egyptian actor Ahmad Tohamy, Jordanian singers Youssef Arafat and Hani Metwassi and Kick Boxing’s five year world champion, Riyad Al Azzawi.
In the lead up to the finale of the Desert Force championship, MBC Action held a press conference in collaboration with X-Management, which is the parent company of the area’s main MMA organisation, Desert Force. The conference also hosted the weigh-ins for the final event and was attended by the eight fighters from the different weight categories with their mentors, trainers and medical crew.
During the conference, the various fighters all agreed upon the significance of their involvement in the area’s first ever MMA Championship. To them, this event marked the first stop towards establishing a professional MMA union in the area, essential for housing the skilled Arabic fighters. As soon as the sport gathers momentum, there will be a rise in action on betting sites in Arabic, similarly to in some of the Western world. There are already casino sites in Arabic like this one a7lacasino.com, and it is likely that most will appear in the near future. Betting sites in Arabic have potential and an increased interest in MMA will only help.
Desert Force CEO, Mohamed Mirza, commented on the Finale event by congratulating each of the fighters who managed to get as far as they did, saying, “Having reached the Finale of the first Arab MMA Championship, there is still a lot to offer in terms of fine-0tuneing this exceptional sport in the middle East and take it out to International standards. Having said this, the Desert Force team is working on a new concept in the Arab World – a Reality TV Show under the name of ‘Desert Force Academy’, which will act as the platform for training amateur MMA fans and turning them into professional and well qualified MMA fighters. Out fans will be exceptionally delighted at what’s coming!”
The press conference also announced the names of the two main mentors and trainers who will accompany the fighters in their special MMA journey though the Academy.
