Bashir Ahmad (mixed martial artist)

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Bashir Ahmad
Bashir Ahmad in 2015
Born (1982-10-12) October 12, 1982 (age 41)
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Other namesSomchai
NationalityPakistani
American
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
DivisionFeatherweight
StyleMuay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts
Fighting out ofLahore, Pakistan
TeamSynergy MMA
Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan
Mixed martial arts record
Total7
Wins4
By submission3
By decision1
Losses3
By knockout2
By submission1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Bashir Ahmad (Urdu: بشیر احمد), (born October 12, 1982) is a Pakistani-American professional mixed martial artist who is known as the "God-father of Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan". He is famous for being the pioneer of mixed martial arts in Pakistan.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] He is currently signed with ONE Championship.[8][9]

Background[edit]

Bashir Ahmad was born in the city of Faisalabad in Punjab, Pakistan, but moved to Great Falls, Virginia, United States, with his parents when he was three years old.[10][11] In 2002, he pursued a career in the U.S. military, joining the Virginia National Guard.[12] In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq when the war broke out. He was stationed in Mosul, working as a U.S. Army medic in a team that disarmed explosives.[12] Ahmad started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu around 2005, when the boom of MMA was taking place in North America.[13]

He came to Lahore, Pakistan in 2007 with the aim of promoting MMA in his native country.[14] After training local kids jiu jitsu for some time, he went to Thailand for a year to train in Muay Thai.[11][15] On his return to Pakistan in 2009, he set up a small MMA training gym in his own apartment.[16] He nicknamed his apartment “The Slaughterhouse”.[17]

In 2012, Ahmad opened a proper gym named "Synergy MMA Academy" in Lahore which has grown to become one of the biggest gyms in the country.[16]

PAK MMA[edit]

Bashir Ahmad laid the foundations of Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan with his arrival in Pakistan in 2007. The purpose of Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan was to promote all martial arts and combat sports in the country while mainly focusing on MMA. Working on his purpose, he went around the whole country organizing seminars mostly for BJJ and MMA and helped in conducting the very first MMA fighting events.[17]

ONE Championship career[edit]

Bashir Ahmad was the first Pakistani to compete in MMA at an international level when he made his debut in ONE Championship by fighting Shannon Wiratchai at ONE FC: Kings and Champions on April 5, 2013.[10][18] Ahmad got a cut in the first round but doctors let the fight continue and Ahmad won his promotional debut via unanimous decision.[19]

At ONE FC: Champions and Warriors, he lost to Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Bruno Pucci by submission via rear-naked choke.[20]

He fought Tanaphong Khunhankaew at ONE FC: Roar of the Tigers and won by submitting him with a rear-naked choke.[21]

In ONE Championship: Valor of Champions, Bashir Ahmad stepped in to fight Amir Khan Ansari on a 3-day notice when Shannon Wiratchai, Khan's original opponent, was injured.[22] Bashir Ahmad lost that fight by TKO via doctor's stoppage.[23]

Bashir Ahmad was scheduled to fight Martin Nguyen at ONE Championship: Odyssey of Champions but the fight was cancelled when Jadamba Narantungalag couldn't appear to fight for the main title match and Martin Nguyen took his place.[24]

Bashir Ahmad submitted his Egyptian opponent Mahmoud Mohamed in 83 seconds at ONE Championship: State of Warriors[25]

Bashir Ahmad currently works as an executive in competition and matchmaking for One Championship.

Shaheen Academy[edit]

Bashir Ahmad is an active advocate[26] for using martial arts philosophy as a means for the betterment of at-risk youth. In 2015, he founded Shaheen Academy, a non-profit MMA gym and tutoring centre in Lahore, Pakistan. Shaheen is located in the middle of a large slum, Charrar Pind, and its aim is to use martial arts as a vehicle for building confidence, discipline, and self-improvemnent in the youth of the slum. It provides free martial arts training and after-school tutoring for children. Bashir Ahmad holds an annual fundraiser for Shaheen and the academy runs entirely on donations.

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
7 matches 4 wins 3 losses
By knockout 0 2
By submission 3 1
By decision 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 4–3 Mahmoud Mohamed Submission (heel hook) ONE: State of Warriors October 7, 2016 1 1:23 Yangon, Myanmar
Loss 3–3 Jimmy Yabo KO (punch) ONE: Tribe of Warriors February 20, 2016 1 0:21 Jakarta, Indonesia Catchweight (158 lb) bout.
Loss 3–2 Amir Khan TKO (doctor stoppage) ONE: Valor of Champions April 24, 2015 3 3:20 Pasay, Philippines Catchweight (150 lb) bout.
Win 3–1 Tanaphong Khunhankaew Submission (rear-naked choke) ONE FC: Roar of Tigers October 17, 2014 1 4:38 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Loss 2–1 Bruno Pucci Submission (rear-naked choke) ONE FC: Champions & Warriors September 13, 2013 1 3:13 Jakarta, Indonesia
Win 2–0 Shannon Wiratchai Decision (unanimous) ONE FC: Kings and Champions April 5, 2013 3 5:00 Kallang, Singapore Featherweight debut.
Win 1–0 Mohammad Arshad Submission (rear-naked choke) Pak Fight Club 2 April 14, 2012 1 0:26 Lahore, Pakistan Lightweight debut.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BASHIR AHMAD". Pak Champions. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  2. ^ De Souza, Wesley (July 29, 2012). "Five Minutes With The Godfather Of Pakistani MMA, Bashir Ahmad". Pro MMA Now. Wesley De Souza. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  3. ^ Malick, Rehan. "The Rise of MMA in Pakistan". The 3rd Umpire. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "PAKISTAN – PART 1 OF 3". Vice Fightland. May 14, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  5. ^ "ہانی پاکستانی – MMA Special". VOA Voice of America. December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  6. ^ "Fight Path: The 'warrior monk' life of Pakistan gym owner Bashir Ahmad". MMA Junkie. MMAjunkie Staff. March 29, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  7. ^ Court, Nathan. "PAK MMA'S Bashir Ahmed Talks to the Fight Lounge". The Fight Lounge. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  8. ^ Marrocco, Steven (September 12, 2013). "Featherweight Bashir Ahmad's road to ONE FC 10 began in the Iraq War". MMA Junkie. Steven Marrocco. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  9. ^ "Bashir Ahmed: "I can be a contender for the ONE FC belt"". Fighting Lifestyle UAE. November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  10. ^ a b Rehman, Sonya. "The MMA Roadshow comes to Pakistan". Esquire Middle East. Jeremy Lawrence. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Bashir Ahmad: Muslim MMA star appalled by 'the cult of Donald Trump'". CNN. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Meet Bashir Ahmad, a US Army veteran and the "Godfather of Pakistani MMA"". Archived from the original on 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  13. ^ "Team Quest Thailand's Pro MMA Fighter – Bashir Ahmad". Team Quest Thailand. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  14. ^ "First Trip: The Beginning – I". PAK MMA Blog. 4 March 2009.
  15. ^ "How PAK MMA Began? The Beginning – II". PAK MMA Blog. 5 June 2012.
  16. ^ a b Raimondi, Marc (March 5, 2013). "Pakistan's MMA founder started sport from tiny gym that doubled as his apartment". New York Post. Marc Raimondi. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "This Fighting Life 3: Bashir Ahmad and MMA in Pakistan". Mixed Martial Arts. The Underground Blog. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  18. ^ Goyder, James (March 15, 2013). "Pakistani MMA Pioneer Bashir Ahmad Wants to Take on Top Indian Fighters". Fighters. James Goyder. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  19. ^ Goyder, James (April 6, 2013). "Shannon Wiratchai comes up short in Singapore". The Phuket News. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  20. ^ Goyder, James (Sep 11, 2013). "ONE FC: 'Champions & Warriors' preview (part one)". MMA Mania. James Goyder. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  21. ^ Goldman, Eddie (October 17, 2014). "Marat Gafurov Defeats Rob Lisita by Rear Naked Choke in The Main Event". ADCC News. Eddie Goldman. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  22. ^ Nazran, Hazwady (April 21, 2015). "Bashir Ahmad steps up to face Amir Khan for One Championship on 3 days notice". MMA Latest. Hazwady. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  23. ^ "One Championship Valor of Champions Results". Pinoy Pride Sports. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  24. ^ Nazran, Hazwady. "Martin Nguyen to fight Marat Gafurov for the One Championship Featherweight title this Sunday". MMA Latest. Hazwady. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  25. ^ Ahmed, Zohaib (7 October 2016). "Bashir Ahmad finishes off Egyptian opponent in opening round". Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  26. ^ "Meet the MMA Fighter Hoping to Heal Pakistan". Time. 2016-03-16. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27.
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