Maliha Ali wins MMA World bronze as Pakistan appeals controversial semifinal decision
Maliha Ali wins MMA World bronze as Pakistan appeals controversial semifinal decision
LAHORE: Pakistan’s Maliha Ali secured a bronze medal at the IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, after her impressive campaign ended with a controversial split-decision defeat against Russia’s Polina Baldina in the women’s featherweight (65.8kg) semifinal.
The Pakistan MMA Federation has formally challenged the decision, seeking a detailed review of the judges’ scoring and an explanation for the contrasting scorecards.
In an important clarification, the federation also acknowledged that its earlier announcement claiming Maliha had qualified for the final was incorrect. She had actually advanced to the semifinals, where she subsequently lost to Baldina and finished the competition with a bronze medal.
Maliha displayed extraordinary determination throughout the championship, competing despite a fractured toe, a badly bruised eyelid and a partially dislocated jaw. She began her campaign with an impressive split-decision victory over Russian fighter and two-time European champion Veronika Drozdova before defeating Mexico’s Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar by unanimous decision to reach the semifinals.
Her encounter with Baldina proved closely contested. However, the judges delivered three different scorecards: one awarded a 30-27 victory to the Russian, another scored it 29-28 for Maliha, while the third gave Baldina a 29-28 win.
Pakistan MMA Federation president Omar Ahmed expressed strong reservations about the outcome, describing the decision as unfair and insisting that his fighter deserved a better result. The federation has submitted a formal appeal to the Head of the IMMAF Refereeing and Judging Commission, requesting a round-by-round scoring breakdown, clarification of the discrepancies and a face-to-face technical review of the contest.
Omar also highlighted Pakistan’s similar experience at last year's championships, calling for greater consistency and transparency in international judging.
Meanwhile, Maliha’s twin sister Manesha Ali, a gold medallist at the IMMAF World Cup in Angola earlier this year, suffered a narrow split-decision defeat against Poland’s Martyna Caruk in the lightweight quarterfinals.
Although the appeal remains pending, Maliha returns with a world championship bronze medal, having demonstrated remarkable courage and fighting spirit on the international stage.
