History Made! Pakistan’s Maliha Ali breezes into IMMAF World Championship final
Lahore: Pakistan’s Maliha Ali has made history by becoming the first Pakistani woman to reach the final of the IMMAF World Championships, following a sensational victory over Mexico’s Andrea Gabriela Guzman, Pan-American champion and last year’s World Championship silver medallist.
Despite carrying an injury from her previous fight against Russia’s European champion, Maliha produced a breathtaking display of striking, precision and tactical brilliance, completely outclassing her highly decorated Mexican opponent.
Her explosive stand-up fighting, exceptional footwork and commanding cage control established her as one of the most exciting strikers and standout performers of the World Championships.
Having already stunned Russia’s highly rated European champion, Maliha delivered another masterclass against Mexico, defeating two of the world’s most formidable competitors on her remarkable journey to the final.
Remarkably, Maliha began training in MMA just 10 months ago at BRAVE Gym Lahore, making her extraordinary rise to the world stage even more inspiring.
Maliha credited her success to her parents’ prayers, the relentless training and winning mindset developed by her coaches, and the unwavering support of her training partners at BRAVE Gym.
She also expressed heartfelt gratitude to ACTIVIT and its CEO Rd. Rizwan Aftab Ahmed for their invaluable sponsorship and continued support, which made her international journey possible.
Maliha further acknowledged the exceptional medical support provided by National Hospital, which played a critical role in treating and managing various injuries sustained by the athletes during their preparations for the World Championships.
The hospital’s dedicated medical care and commitment to athlete recovery have been instrumental in ensuring that Team Pakistan could compete at the highest international level.
From her first MMA training session to a World Championship finalist in just 10 months, Maliha Ali is rewriting Pakistan’s sporting history. Her fearless striking, extraordinary courage and relentless determination have established her as one of Pakistan’s brightest emerging sporting stars and a powerful symbol of female empowerment.
