LAHORE: Pakistan’s MMA prospect Mehmosh The Renegade Raza scored a dominating unanimous decision victory over veteran Ukrainian fighter Igor Gryckiv at the Rebel FC-7 Fight for Honour featherweight bout in Shanghai on Sunday.
The Pakistani rising star survived early strikes from the Ukrainian in the first round, but made an immediate comeback in Round 2 as he took him down and showcased his grappling talents in front of a packed crowd. His hand was eventually raised at the end of the 3-round fight.
Speaking after his victory that improves his record to 7 wins with 2 losses, Mehmosh said: “He hit me with some hard shots early on. But I regained momentum and dominated him on the ground, winning the fight via a unanimous decision.”
Also read: MMA prospect Mehmosh Raza vows to make Pakistan proud
Speaking about Igor prior to his about, Mehmosh had said that the skill of his opponent does not worry him since he “has more heart”. “My opponent may have more experience than me, but I have 10 times more heart,” Mehmosh said via a Facebook post.
The MMA prospect had also vowed to bring glory to Pakistan, a country where MMA is still in its early years. “InshAllah I will bring glory to Pakistan,” Mehmosh added.
Director Prime Sports Management and Raza’s manager Muhammad Rizwan Ali lauded the fighter for showing great improvements in his game. He also emphasised that Mehmosh would knock his opponent out in the first round.
“The fight against Igor is the toughest fight of Mehmosh’s career, but he has heart of a lion and has improved a lot. He will knock Igor out in round one,” Rizwan had told Daily Times.
Mehmosh Raza is one of the promising young names in Pakistan’s ever-evolving MMA industry.
He has featured in numerous high-profile fights in a short span including his battle against Haroon Durrani at Fighting Alliance 5, which remains to date one of the finest showcases of the martial arts in the country’s history.