Other examples can also be found in Assyrian and Babylonian art but back in 2017, Iraq Solidarity News (Al-Thawra) reported how Iraqi athletes have been competing in Mixed Martial Arts events in the country’s capital, Baghdad.
“As the audience cheers, judges look on using a points system to evaluate the fighters in a number of categories including striking and defence. Tournaments see professional fighters fighting it out in the ring with players taking part in each competition.”
Events are held at the Yarmouk Leisure Club in western Baghdad. The full contact sport includes elements of wrestling, boxing as well as other martial art disciplines. This sport came to Iraq in 2011 and such sporting events are held by organizations like the Iraqi Combat Fighting Championship.
Amir Albazi’s journey to become the first Iraqi man fighting for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) may have been tougher than any of his bouts to date.
The rising talent in professional mixed martial arts (MMA) was born in Baghdad but grew up in Sweden, after his family fled Iraq to escape Saddam Hussein’s authoritarian regime.
As the BBC reported back in December, Albazi arrived in the Nordic country as a boy who could not speak a word of Swedish - and he experienced severe culture shock in his new surroundings.
“In school, I couldn’t understand what people were saying, but I could tell they were making fun of me,” he told the BBC. “The only way I could express myself was with my fists.”
The 29-year-old said his world was transformed when, by chance, he found MMA on TV. It was love at first sight. As a professional, Albazi is known by his ring name, “The Prince” - a translation of his Arabic first name.
He now has almost 15 years of experience in the sport and wants to become the first Iraqi and Arab champion in the UFC’s history. “I feel a great responsibility on my shoulders being the only Iraqi in the UFC. I feel as if I am representing my country and the whole Arab world,” he said.
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Following years of hard work, It was a historic day for the Iraqi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IRAQMMAF) as it received official recognition from the Iraqi National Olympic Committee.
An election also took place to determine the federation’s board, where Raad Jameel was elected as president and Haydar Mahdi as vice president. Ahmed Jameel will serve as the Secretary, with Salwan Raheem, Mohamad Dawod, Hammen Tahsyn, and Basma Jabar all confirmed to be members of the board.
Since receiving recognition, IRAQMMAF has been actively planning for the future, hosting the first meeting of the executive board to discuss the development of coaches and athletes by making courses readily available.
As IMMAF reported on April 10th, the first training session of the national team also took place, led by the coaching staff and the national wrestling team captain, Samir Mahdi.
The IRAQMMAF has already been active on the IMMAF circuit, debuting at the 2021 World Championships before going on to feature at the 2022 Asian Championships and World Championships. The federation has big plans for the future of the sport in Iraq, and the recent achievement of recognition will be a major factor in those plans.
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