By Frank Bonada
French phenom Souhil Arezki will be looking to impress once again at the biggest amateur MMA event of the year, as he heads to Tashkent, Uzbekistan to defend the Junior Bantamweight World title.
Arezki embodies the new generation of amateur athletes emerging from France and Belgium, focused on honing their skills and building a brand on the amateur circuit before making the leap to professional MMA. Following in the footsteps of Manon Fiorot, Patrick Habirora, and
With an impressive 26-5 amateur record at just 20 years old, Arezki’s performances under the IMMAF banner demonstrate a level of maturity and experience typically seen in athletes competing in the Senior divisions.
Arezki made his IMMAF debut at the 2021 World Championships, securing victories over Moqtada Kamel Msaad (Iraq) and Mikael Aclipen (Iceland) before experiencing the first defeat of his amateur career, losing a decision to Ukraine’s Ivan Pasich.
This would not be the last time Arezki and Pasich would cross paths. At the 2022 IMMAF European Championships, Arezki went on an impressive three-fight winning streak to reach the finals, only to face Pasich once again.
Unfortunately, history repeated itself as the Frenchman lost another decision to the Ukrainian World – and now European – IMMAF Champion.
At the 2022 IMMAF World Championships, Arezki continued to impress but fell short on Day 4 after being matched up with one of IMMAF’s top competitors in recent memory, Otabek Rajabov (Tajikistan).
While some may view Arezki’s three unsuccessful attempts to claim IMMAF gold as an indicator of his potential ceiling, it’s imperative to remember that the French bantamweight was still in his teens during these competitions.
At just 19, only a month shy of his 20th birthday, Arezki answered the call to compete once more, travelling to Tirana, Albania, for the 2023 IMMAF World Championships. This time, he would not be denied.
Arezki’s first opponent was no walk in the park by any means. Saias Santana of Spain entered the bout with an impressive 13-4 record, built from previous IMMAF events and regional amateur MMA contests. Rising to the occasion, Arezki secured a second-round submission via armbar, setting the tone for his championship campaign.
With this victory, Arezki positioned himself as a frontrunner in the division, given his experience and emphatic opening-round win. He continued his momentum, earning decisive wins over Shakhzod Odilzoda (Tajikistan) and Daniil Zheliaskov (Ukraine) before advancing to face the undefeated Buzurgmehri Saifullozoda of Tajikistan in the final.
Although this was Saifullozoda’s debut at a Junior IMMAF event, he had already claimed a statement victory by defeating Samba Sima (France) in the semifinals – an athlete whose amateur career has been closely intertwined with Arezki’s.
Prior to the 2023 IMMAF World Championships, Arezki and Sima had faced off twice, once at MMA League Ile de France and again at MMA League 8, both hosted by the French MMA Federation. Both bouts saw the judges’ scorecards, with Arezki claiming victory in their first encounter, while Sima edged out a split-decision win in their rematch.
Interestingly, Arezki and Sima faced each other a third time following the conclusion of the 2023 IMMAF World Championships, and with both fighters still early in their MMA careers, it’s likely their rivalry will continue in future matchups.
Saifullozoda’s win over Arezki’s long-time rival set the stage for a thrilling showdown in the final. True to form, Saifullozoda pushed the Frenchman to the absolute limit, using his reach advantage to land precise strikes and showcasing the renowned Tajik wrestling when the action hit the canvas.
However, despite the adversity, Arezki met the test head-on. He held his ground on the feet, even landing a glancing head kick in the second round, but his real brilliance emerged on the mat. Although more often than not, it was Saifullozoda who initiated the grappling exchanges, Arezki displayed exceptional defensive and offensive skills, sprawling, sweeping, and scoring takedowns of his own. Notably, he executed two high-impact slams that likely caught the judges’ attention.
In the end, Arezki’s relentless effort earned him a unanimous decision victory, finally securing the IMMAF gold that had previously eluded him.
Since the 2023 IMMAF World Championships, Souhil Arezki has competed seven times on the French regional scene, going 6-1, with his sole loss coming to the aforementioned Samba Sima.
The Junior Bantamweight division is stacked with talent. 2022 European Champion Patrik Kutil will return to IMMAF competition, having been forced to miss the 2023 World Championships due to health complications, whilst rising continental champions Gavin Mitchell and Madiyar Serikbay will be looking to build on their 2024 successes.
Likely making his final appearance in Junior IMMAF competition, Arezki will now head to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to defend his Bantamweight World title. However, this defence may prove to be an even greater challenge than his previous outing.
The Junior Bantamweight division is loaded with talent this year. 2022 European Champion Patrik Kutil (Czech Republic) is making his much-anticipated return to IMMAF competition after being sidelined from the 2023 World Championships due to health issues. In addition, rising continental champions Gavin Mitchell (USA) and Madiyar Serikbay (Kazakhstan) will both aim to build on their impressive early 2024 performances, setting the stage for an intense week of competition in Tashkent.
You can watch Souhil Arezki seek to defend his World title live at IMMAF.tv
