After two bouts made up Day 1, the 2024 edition of the Asian IMMAF Championships began in earnest with 33 matches taking fans all over Asia with a series of displays from the continent’s finest young athletes, assembled in beautiful Lahore, Pakistan.
Tajikistan were the big winners of Day 2 with 11 overall victories, including a quick stoppage for Heavyweight Azmudin Vakhobov, who capped off an incredible day for his nation.
Individually speaking, a few names stood out, such as Bahraini Ali Marhoon, who earned the most impressive submission of the day. Facing Yerkebullan Myngbossyn in a Junior Welterweight bout, Marhoon locked in a quick triangle choke and was able to beautifully adust and adapt it into an armbar once Yerkebullan defended the choke.
Marhoon was joined by the likes of Abdulla Mubarak, Shamil Alikhanov, Gimbat Magomedov, and Abdulrahman Janahi was winners for the always dangerous Team Bahrain.
Also impressing was another Middle Eastern nation, most specifically Lebanon. With BRAVE CF and Arab MMA legend Mohammad Fakhreddine at the helm, Fadi Jaber scored an amazing stoppage via front kick to the body against Reyhan Ramadhan from Team Indonesia.
The home team Pakistan had a solid effort, led by the heroics of Shahab Ali. Last year’s silver medalist in his category, Ali kicked off his 2024 campaign in style with a quick stoppage of Iran’s Daryush Khanlari.
Team Kazakhstan was also very impressive on Day 2 of competition with two of their most important athletes facing off and putting on arguably the best fight of the day. Doszhan Kenzhebayev and Alikhan Safarov went the distance in an amazing bout that showcased how much Team Kazakhstan continues to grow every year.
Up next, Day 3 of competition at the first-ever IMMAF Asian Championships as the women categories begin and the final for each category takes shape as we close in on a climatic ending to what is already a historic tournament, as part of the BRAVE International Combat Week, the world’s largest combat sports festival.
