Hotak defeats Russian rival, dedicates win to Afghans

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Ahmad Wali Hotak has defeated his Russian opponent Saiged Zirkov at the Global Series Open competition held in Minsk.

The bout took place at the Prime Hall stadium in the Belarusian capital. Competing in the 70-kilogram weight class, Hotak secured the victory using a submission technique.

This win marks Hotak’s first since returning to professional fighting after a three-year hiatus, bringing his career record to 11 victories. It was also his opening bout in the current Global Series Open.

Sharing a short video of his winning moment on his Facebook page, Hotak dedicated the victory to the people of Afghanistan and expressed gratitude to his supporters for their continued encouragement.

In an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News last week, Hotak revealed that he had been training rigorously for the past two months and was optimistic about overcoming his Dagestani rival.

“Dagestani fighters dominate the global MMA scene. My opponent has trained under Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father and is part of Khabib’s team. He has fought four official matches, winning three,” Hotak explained.

Hotak is also scheduled to compete next month in the Fight Nights organization event in Russia.

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