By Frank Bonada
The penultimate day of the 2023 IMMAF Asian Championships saw fierce competition amongst Asia’s emerging MMA talents as each athlete looked to secure a coveted spot in the Finals.
Kazakhstan once again stole the spotlight as Adilhan Ginayatov delivered the tournament’s standout moment so far, landing a spectacular head kick KO against Abdulaziz Mustafayev (Uzbekistan), establishing himself as a future force in the Asian amateur MMA scene.
Salauat Kabi also put on an exceptional performance for Team Kazakhstan, locking in a sensational triangle in a grappling sequence reminiscent of the heights of pro-MMA. Adel Makhametova continued Kazakhstan’s success, getting her Asian title defence off to a great start with a dominant decision win over Bushra Ahmed in the Senior Featherweight Semi-Final.
Bahrain’s Gadzhi Gadzhiev, fresh from his historic victory at the 2023 IMMAF World Championships, returned with a clinical armbar to dispatch Shokhmirzo Tulanboev (Uzbekistan), maintaining his dominance in the IMMAF light heavyweight ranks.
Gimbat Magomedov, Gadzhiev’s countryman and fellow World Champion, secured another victory, positioning himself as a clear favourite for an IMMAF Asian gold medal in the Junior welterweight division.
Uzbekistan experienced their best day of the tournament, securing seven victories across various weight classes. Khujakul Ergashev, Sarvarbek Hasanov and Khushnud Abdurakhmonov all picked up impressive finishes, setting the stage for a triumphant final day of competition.
The 2023 Asian Championships will conclude on December 16th, featuring the Final bouts starting at 3 pm local time. Catch all the action live at IMMAF.TV.
