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
Marmoush, Salah strike as Egypt edge out holders Ivory Coast in quarter-final
- Egypt wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute
- That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance
AGADIR, Morocco: Omar Marmoush netted the opener and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal as Egypt ended Ivory Coast’s reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.
Center back Rami Rabia was the other scorer for the Egyptians, who had little possession at the Grande Stade Agadir but took their chances with clinical precision and held on grimly to book a semifinal meeting with Senegal on Wednesday.
An own goal from Ahmed Fatouh and a late effort by Guela Doue proved insufficient for the Ivory Coast, winners of the tournament on home soil two years ago but now deposed as African champions.
Egypt, who have won a record seven Cup of Nations titles, wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute after Hamdi Fathy pinched the ball from Franck Kessie in the midfield, allowing Emam Ashour to thread a pinpoint ball to the sprinting Marmoush. He still needed to shrug off the attentions of defender Odilon Kossounou before slotting home.
But it quickly became clear the Ivorians were going to dominate possession, showing much more physical strength on the ball but without setting up clear chances.
Egypt went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute when Rabia rose above the defenders to head his side further ahead from a corner.
The Ivory Coast, who had 70 percent of possession in the first half, reduced the deficit eight minutes later when teenager Yann Diomande’s freekick near the corner took a slight brush off Kossounou’s head and ricocheted off the knee of full back Fatouh and into the net.
SALAH FINISHED OFF CLEVER MOVE
The Ivorians had come from 2-0 down to beat Gabon 3-2 earlier in the tournament but hopes of turning the scoreline around soon after the re-start were stymied by a simply created, but superbly finished, goal for Salah seven minutes after the break.
Rabia was well inside his own half when he chipped the ball over the top of the Ivorian defensive line, allowing Ashour to run onto it and hit an accurate pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Salah to score.
An Ivorian comeback was still on when Doue touched home at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute.
That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria overpowered Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech and will take on hosts Morocco in the other semifinal.
