Maliha Ali takes bronze at MMA worlds as Pakistan appeals semi-final decision
Maliha Ali fought with a fractured toe, a severely bruised eyelid and a partially dislocated jaw. She fought anyway. When Omar Ahmed, president of the Pakistan MMA Federation, asked if she could compete, her response was simple. “Sir, we fight from the heart,” she said. “These hands and feet are just not that important.” That courage carried her to the semi-final. It couldn’t carry her past the…
Maliha Ali, a Pakistani MMA fighter, secured a bronze medal at the IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, despite a controversial bronze medal win following a split-decision loss in the featherweight semi-final. Ali competed in the tournament with a fractured toe, a swollen eyelid, and a partially dislocated jaw, demonstrating immense courage. Her opponent in the semi-final, Polina Baldina from Russia, is a former world champion who had won three bouts to reach the final.
Maliha's path to the semi-final was marked by a split-decision victory over two-time European champion Veronika Drozdova and a unanimous decision over Mexico's Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar. The final against Baldina ended in a split decision, with the scores favoring the Russian fighter. The Pakistan MMA Federation, led by Omar Ahmed, president of the federation, lodged a formal appeal against the judges' decision, citing discrepancies in the scoring.
The federation claimed that a similar split-decision loss by Pakistan occurred at last year's championships, and they alleged favoritism towards ex-Soviet states in judging and refereeing. They requested a detailed breakdown of round scores, an explanation for the inconsistent scoring, and a face-to-face technical review of both fights. The appeal is currently pending.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
