Federation: Bahrain MMA Federation Number of competitors: 6 Despite being a relatively new member of IMMAF, Bahrain has developed a budding team of amateurs. The team’s national pride and large following is illustrated by the unprecedented growth of mixed martial artists as one of the country’s most popular sports. The Bahrainian team (Team KHK) made its debut at the 2015 IMMAF World Championships but were unsuccessful in their hunt for podium finishes. At the 2015 IMMAF European Open Championships, however, Bahrain found much deserved success. The Open took place in Walsall, England last November and featured one of the biggest upset victories in international amateur MMA history. Bahrain’s 27-year-old Hussein Ayyad (8-1) scored a first round submission win over 2015 Flyweight Silver medallist Serdar Atlas (Sweden) in what was a defining moment for the nation. It was a climactic win for Ayyad, applauded by H.H. Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa who was in attendance. Despite falling to eventual Gold medallist Jake Bond in the semi-finals, Ayyad would capture a Bronze medal, a major accolade that has played a huge part in Ayyad’s increase in popularity as a martial artist. En route to the Worlds, Ayyad captured a Gold medal at the ‘2016 BodyPower: Indian Open MMA Championships’, furthering his MMA experience. Alongside him in the Bahrainian line-up are two India Open Gold medallists Abdulla Seena and Ali Ibrahimi, who both hold experience from the 2015 IMMAF World Championships. Attend the 2016 IMMAF World Championships at UFC International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA): July 5 – 7, Las Vegas Convention Center FREE ENTRY July 8 & 10, UFC Fan Expo® BUY TICKETS: ufc.com/event-ticket-info FOLLOW the results live at mynextmatch.com or on Twitter at @IMMAFed]]>
2016 World Championships: Team Bahrain in Focus
