Pakistan’s first-ever female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Anita Karim won her fight against Australia’s Uyen Ha by a unanimous decision under the banner of Fairtex Fight Promotion at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
According to details the 25-year-old fighter, who hails from Hunza, made light work of her opponent and dominated all three rounds of the bantamweight fight.
She tweeted after winning:” Another one, Alhumdulillah, All praises to the Almighty and a big thank you to everyone who showed love and support. Huge shoutout to my team fairtexofficial for the knowledge and pushing me every single day to get better!
According to her brother Ali Sultan, Karim trained at Fairtex Center in Pattaya, Thailand, for several months before winning the bout against her opponent by securing a unanimous decision from the judges.
“Anita started training for MMA at the end of 2016,” Sultan told Arab News on Sunday over the phone. “After about a year, she went for her first international flight.”
He said Karim had participated in five international fights until now and won three of them.
The region’s sports and tourism minister, Raja Nasir Ali Khan, also celebrated her victory on Twitter.
“Bravo! A resilient female fighter from Gilgit-Baltistan proving her mettle globally. Congratulation,” he wrote after the fight on Saturday.
Sultan said his family faced criticism since no woman from Pakistan was participating in the sport.
“Despite huge criticism, people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza supported and encouraged Anita,” he said. “She has also been making us proud.”
He hoped that Karim’s performance would inspire other women who would come forward and join the field as well.
Several Pakistanis congratulated Karim for winning the fight through social media posts.
“What a win,” exclaimed the former governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon, in a Facebook post. “A brave daughter of Gilgit-Baltistan. MMA fighter Anita Karim knocked out an Australian fighter.”
