ABU DHABI: Zamzam Al-Hammadi has emerged as one of the most promising MMA and jiu-jitsu athletes in the UAE after securing gold medals at both the IMMAF Youth World Championships at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi and the JJIF World Championship YOUTH in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Her performance in Abu Dhabi marked a significant milestone in the evolution of mixed martial arts in the UAE, as she became the nation’s first female world champion.
In the 52 kg final, she secured a unanimous points victory over Ukraine’s Kira Voliashchenko. Adding to her accolades, Al-Hammadi clinched gold in the under-18, 52 kg division at the JJIF World Championship YOUTH held in Astana last week.
“Honestly, jiu-jitsu and MMA are quite different, but jiu-jitsu has helped me a lot in MMA. In the ground game, I use jiu-jitsu, while in the standup game, I employ kickboxing, Muay Thai, and boxing,” she said.
She maintains a strict training regimen that keeps her strong and motivated. “I usually train four times a day — twice in the morning, once for jiu-jitsu and once for MMA, and twice in the evening. Additionally, I engage in cardio training at night. Our entire family trains together.”
Al-Hammadi started practicing jiu-jitsu when she was just 3 years old. It has been 14 years since she began training. Despite being in the early stages of her career, she has already won a significant number of medals.
“I’ve earned over 500 medals so far, both internationally, regionally and locally. With the grace of Allah, as I always say, I am aiming for bigger achievements and pushing myself harder,” said the Abu Dhabi schoolgirl.
Zamzam’s younger sister, Ghala Al-Hammadi, has also established herself as a genuine talent in both MMA and jiu-jitsu. She secured gold in the MMA World Championships in the girls’ 40 kg final, also becoming an Emirati female MMA world champion alongside Zamzam. Ghala also clinched a bronze medal in Astana in the under-16 division.
“My sister and I are incredibly close. People often refer to us as ‘wheels’ because it’s rare for sisters to be so tightly knit. We don’t like to fight; the only times we engage in combat are during training sessions. We are always training partners, both at home and during our practice sessions. Our bond is more akin to that of best friends rather than just sisters,” Zamzam added.
Her earliest memory of jiu-jitsu is skipping classes to watch the sport, and she said she will never forget her first coach who identified her skill.
“One day, while I was watching a jiu-jitsu class, a coach named John noticed my interest and potential. He advised my mom to let me join jiu-jitsu due to my evident passion and enthusiasm. Coach John is a name I’ll never forget; he was my very first coach, the one who introduced me to the world of jiu-jitsu and encouraged my mom to let me immerse myself in jiu-jitsu.”
UAE’s Zamzam Al-Hammadi emerges as world-class MMA and jiu-jitsu talent
https://arab.news/j2qax
UAE’s Zamzam Al-Hammadi emerges as world-class MMA and jiu-jitsu talent
- The 18-year-old is her country’s first female MMA world champion
- In the 52 kg final, she secured a unanimous points victory over Ukraine’s Kira Voliashchenko
Arsenal put away Chelsea to reach League Cup final
- Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium
- In their first final for six years, Arsenal will face Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on March 22
LONDON: Arsenal reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semifinal second leg on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium.
It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semifinals in the 2025 Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 Europa League.
In their first final for six years, Arsenal will face Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on March 22.
City hold a 2-0 lead over Newcastle ahead of Wednesday’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal haven’t won the League Cup since 1993, losing in their last three final appearances.
Now they have the chance to end that drought by winning the club’s first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.
That remains the sole silverware won by Arteta since he was hired in December 2019.
“We knew it was going to be a real battle out there. That resilience, that clarity to understand what kind of game we had to play, we did so well,” Arteta said.
“There was a special atmosphere inside our stadium. It makes such a difference. We’ve been waiting a few years to get into this position and we’re certainly going to enjoy it.”
It is shaping up to be a memorable season for Arsenal, who are six points clear at the top of the Premier League and reached the Champions League last 16 by winning all eight of their group matches.
Despite their success, Arsenal have attracted criticism for their reliance on goals from corners and set-pieces.
Arteta launched a passionate defense of Arsenal’s style of play this week, revealing he has a “massive book of people” who feel his side are the “most exciting in Europe.”
Tuesday’s war of attrition will hardly silence Arsenal’s critics, but Arteta won’t care about that after leading his team to Wembley.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior had won six of his seven matches in all competitions since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.
But Rosenior was unable to solve his Arsenal conundrum, with the Gunners handing him the only two defeats of his brief reign.
“Arsenal know they were in a game, over both ties. We dominated the areas we wanted to in the second half, but we didn’t find that quality moment,” Rosenior said.
“It’s painful to lose. We just need to keep making improvements, which I’m seeing from the first leg to the second.”
Knockout blow
Without captain Martin Odegaard, sidelined by a muscle problem, and winger Bukayo Saka, who was injured in the pre-match warm-up at Leeds on Saturday, Arsenal weren’t at their best but still ground out the win.
Rosenior’s switch to a three-man central defense allowed Chelsea to stifle Arsenal in a scrappy first half.
The Gunners briefly shook off their shackles as Piero Hincapie’s curler from just inside the area was palmed away by Robert Sanchez.
It rained so heavily in the first half that Rosenior had to take off his soaked glasses to see what was happening.
Squinting through the squall offered Rosenior an alarming view as Malo Gusto’s misjudgment let in Gabriel Martinelli before the Chelsea defender scrambled back to block the shot.
It took 43 minutes for Chelsea to muster a shot on target when Enzo Fernandez’s long-range blast was punched clear by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Chelsea needed to push for a goal and Rosenior sent on Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian after an hour, ditching his back three.
Estevao immediately set up Fernandez for a curler that flashed over, but Chelsea’s threat petered out.
Havertz delivered the knockout blow in the final seconds of stoppage-time, rounding Sanchez to slot into the empty net after Chelsea were caught on the counter.
