Omar Abdullah felicitates Kashmiri MMA fighter Owais Yaqoob, awards Rs 1 lakh

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah felicitated mixed martial arts fighter Owais Yaqoob and announced a cash award of ₹1 lakh for his performances at the international level.

Omar praised Yaqoob for bringing recognition to Jammu and Kashmir and India, saying his achievements could motivate young sportspersons across the region to pursue excellence.

Yaqoob, who hails from Murran village in Pulwama district, was born in 1998 and is recognised as Kashmir’s first professional MMA fighter.

He began his sporting career with taekwondo and kickboxing in 2012-13. Over the years, he won 11 national gold medals, six silver medals and 17 state-level titles. He also represented India in Eskrima, winning a bronze medal at the 2022 WEKAF World Championship in the Philippines.

Inspired by UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, Yaqoob switched to MMA and turned professional in 2023. He currently trains at the American Kickboxing Academy under Khabib Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez.

Yaqoob made his professional debut at Matrix Fight Night 11 in 2023 and has since recorded six wins and one loss, with victories in India, Kazakhstan and China.

He became the first fighter from J&K to compete and win under the BRAVE Combat Federation. At BRAVE CF 107 on August 2, 2026, he defeated Bulgarian fighter Delyan Georgiev, a training partner of UFC champion Ilia Topuria, by first-round stoppage.

Apart from competing, Yaqoob founded the Lion’s Den Martial Arts Academy in Pulwama in 2015. The academy has trained more than 200 young athletes.