LUANDA: Pakistani MMA fighter Manesha Ali has won a gold medal at the IMMAF World Cup in Angola.
Manesha defeated Angola’s Leonela Isabel Blaiye by submission in the second round.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) World Cup was held in Luanda.
According to the Pakistan MMA Federation, Manesha secured the win with only 15 seconds left.
Blaiye attacked with a series of punches during the final moments of the round.
Manesha responded with a standing guillotine submission. The move forced Blaiye to give up.
The victory secured the gold medal for the Pakistani fighter.
Manesha comes from Gilgit-Baltistan and trains at Brave Gym Lahore.
She celebrated the victory with an emotional reaction after the fight.
Manesha roared after securing the win before dropping to her knees.
Her sister Maleeha was watching from the crowd. She joined Manesha during the celebrations.
The emotional moment continued as Manesha received her medal and had her hand raised.
The World Cup featured 15 highly ranked teams from different countries.
The tournament brought together several leading amateur MMA fighters.
Manesha’s victory adds another international achievement to Pakistan’s growing MMA record.
The fighter will now prepare for her next competitions.
Her immediate focus will be the Pakistan Open.
She will then compete at the IMMAF World Championships in Georgia.
The championships are scheduled to begin on November 1.
Manesha credited her training and mentorship for her recent progress.
She said she has developed significantly as a fighter in less than a year.
The Pakistani fighter also outlined her long-term ambitions in the sport.
She aims to become an IMMAF world champion.
She also hopes to become the first Pakistani female fighter to compete in the UFC.
Pakistan MMA Federation chief Omar Ahmed also welcomed the international achievement.
He said running a sports federation in Pakistan comes with several challenges.
Ahmed mentioned policy issues and administrative difficulties faced by sports bodies.
He said such challenges become worthwhile when Pakistani athletes reach international podiums.
The World Cup gold medal gives Manesha valuable momentum ahead of the Pakistan Open.
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Her next major target will be the IMMAF World Championships in Georgia.
