ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s own Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) pioneer Bashir Ahmad got inducted in the Hall of Fame this week at the World Martial Arts Summit and Festival in Bangkok. Among the world’s most influential figures in MMA, Ahmad was given the award alongside the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Carlson Gracie, which has been the biggest honour, according to Ahmad, while he was not expecting this award at such a young age and that too as a Pakistani. “I was inducted into the hall of fame alongside Gracie, he is a huge legend in Brazialian Jiu-jitsu, and that to me is a huge honour,” the 35-year-old said, who received the honour on March 16. “I was not expecting to receive it at such a young age as I have much more to accomplish. It honours me that a Pakistani is being inducted into the hall of fame alongside Gracie. A country that is perceived as backward in MMA is actually at the forefront of in many ways.”
Published in Daily Times, March 19th 2018.