LAHORE: Heavy rain lashed Lahore on Friday but inside the Packages Mall a different storm was brewing as the much-anticipated Pakistan Open MMA Championship exploded into action with punches pouring down in the cage. The quarter-final round of the multi-nation tournament concluded with a series of pumped-up performances, setting the stage for a thrilling semi-final line-up.

The three-day event is an official qualifier for the IMMAF World Championships in Georgia later this year, offering fighters a precious chance to earn their place on global stage.

In a display of national representation, seven fighters from Islamabad, six from Punjab, four each from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and three from Balochistan sealed their spots in the last-four round. Several top-seeded fighters received byes, while others were eliminated for failing to show up for scheduled bouts.

The day’s most shocking and dramatic fight took place in the flyweight (56.7kg) category between Islamabad’s Mohiz Satti and Faizan of KP.

The highly competitive bout ended in tragedy when Faizan suffered a fractured hand, forcing the referee to stop the fight. Showing incredible grit, Faizan was still attempting to fight on despite the severe injury. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

In other fights of the tournament, Punjab’s young gun Nehal Khan overcame Hamid Rehman of KP in a strawweight (52.2kg) bout. In the flyweight division, Nazar (Punjab) defeated Baz Mohammad (Sindh) and Abdul Rehman of Balochistan overpowered Punjab’s Mohammad Ali to complete the semi-final line-up.

The bantamweight (61.2kg) category saw both Islamabad’s Samiullah and Sadiqullah both advance, while KP’s Ihsanullah registered a victory via technical knockout (TKO) over Muneeb Mir.

Sindh fighters dominated the featherweight category, with Musavir Shah and Hussain Malik registering commanding wins over Shehroz and Mohammad Rashid, both from Punjab. Tanzil of KP booked the last semi-final spot with a win over Zubair Shah of Balochistan.

The action continued in the welterweight (77.1kg) division where Sindh’s Asif Khan overwhelmed Rozi Khan of Balochistan and Zaib Hasan of Punjab downed Saad Khan of KP. Meanwhile, Mohammad Huzaifa emerged victorious over Hikmatullah of Balochistan in a middleweight (83.9kg) contest.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025