SRINAGAR , August 17 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday felicitated international mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Owais Yaqoob and presented him with a cash award of Rs 1 lakh in recognition of his achievements on the international stage.
Yaqoob, a native of Murran village in Pulwama, recently secured a notable victory over Delyan Georgiev at BRAVE Combat Federation 107. Georgiev is a training and sparring partner of UFC champion Ilia Topuria.
The victory has further raised Yaqoob’s profile in international MMA as he continues to pursue his goal of earning a place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Born in 1998, Yaqoob began training in Taekwondo and kickboxing around 2012 and went on to win more than a dozen national medals across different martial arts disciplines. He later shifted his focus to MMA and began competing internationally.
His professional career started with a setback when he suffered a third-round submission defeat in his debut bout at Matrix Fight Night 11 in New Delhi in 2023. He subsequently travelled to Dagestan, Russia, where he underwent specialised training to strengthen his wrestling and ground game.
The training proved fruitful, with Yaqoob returning to competition to record victories in India, Kazakhstan and China. He also became the first fighter from Jammu and Kashmir to compete and win under the BRAVE Combat Federation banner.
Beyond his professional career, Yaqoob has contributed to the development of martial arts at the grassroots level. He founded the Lion’s Den Martial Arts Academy in Pulwama in 2015, where more than 200 young athletes have reportedly received training.
The Rs 1 lakh cash award from the Chief Minister recognises Yaqoob’s recent international accomplishments and his contribution to promoting martial arts among youth in Jammu and Kashmir.
Yaqoob remains focused on his long-term ambition of making it to the UFC and representing India on the world’s biggest MMA stage.
