By Frank Bonada
The excitement intensified on Day 2 of the 2024 IMMAF World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where major upsets and rising stars took the spotlight, reshaping the competition landscape.
2023 IMMAF Silver Medalist Malik Basahel (Saudi Arabia) was in exceptional form. Having competeted three times as an amateur for PFL, Basahel returned to IMMAF competition with a renewed focus. Taking on Nurlan Tleumbetov (Kazakhstan), the Saudi standout was relentless in his pressure, securing a big TKO victory.
Day 3 promises a compelling showdown between Basahel and Rudolph Johnson III (USA), who is in impressive form. Johnson stunned fans with a split-decision victory over the reigning World Champion Vohid Zohidzoda (Tajikistan) and followed up with a dominant performance against Narek Goginyan (Armenia), setting up a high-stakes quarter-final clash.
In another upset, Jeovanni Rivadeneyra (Mexico) overcame SBG Ireland’s Nate Kelly. Initially struggling against Kelly’s grappling, Rivadeneyra adapted quickly and locked in a kimura for the submission, cementing his position as a rising contender.
France’s Souhil Arezki, the returning Jr. Bantamweight champion, faced an early exit after falling to Ukraine’s Herohil Hudz. However, Team France continued to impress with standout performances from Samba Sima and Oualy Tandia, both securing impressive finishes to advance to the quarter-finals.
While 2023 stars like Arezki and Zohidzoda were upset, Elias Erber (Austria) and Sultan Gapizov (Bahrain) rose to the occasion. Erber aims to defend his title in what will be his final IMMAF appearance, while Gapizov, now competing in the Super Heavyweight division, is in pursuit of becoming a two-division champion.
Day 3 will see Women’s Champions Sani Brännfors and Amy Scully return to the cage, with medals on the line for all competitors. Tune in to IMMAF.tv for live coverage of everything single bout.
