ISLAMABAD: A mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has attained the title of becoming the first Pakistani to hold 100 Guinness World Records, an official at the local MMA federation said on Wednesday.
Irfan Mehsood, a 33-year-old native of the South Waziristan tribal district, holds records for the most push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, step-ups, knee strikes, elbow strikes, side jumps and high jumps.
Italian weightlifter Marcello Ferri had set a world record by lifting a 40-pound weight with his toe for a minute and 32 seconds. This was broken by Mehsood by lifting the same weight for three minutes and 20 seconds. Mehsood has broken the records of 16 countries so far including the United States, Britain, India, China, Norway, Germany, France, Finland, Philippines, Spain, Italy, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria. Mehsood also received a presidential award in 2023.
“Irfan Mehsud is the first Pakistani athlete to achieve 100 Guinness World Records,” All Pakistan MMA President Babar Raja told Arab News on Wednesday. “There is no limelight in the district he hails from but he is still able to get widespread fame in MMA as an athlete.”
Raja said the All Pakistan MMA Federation was working to award Mehsood a senior role in the body so that others could benefit from his experience.
Mixed Martial Arts is a full-contact combat sport combining elements of different martial arts and combat sports that allows athletes to use a wide array of techniques including striking, grappling, submissions, throws and takedowns. Boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu are various forms of MMA.
