ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Maliha Ali stunned Russia’s Veronika Drozdova, a two-time European champion, with a split-decision victory in the featherweight category at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The 24-year-old fighter from Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan, defeated her 19-year-old Russian opponent in their 65.8kg bout on Tuesday, securing a place in the quarter-finals.
Maliha, also a wushu champion and national kickboxing gold medallist, dominated the opening two rounds before Drozdova fought back in the third. However, the judges awarded the victory to the Pakistani fighter.
Fighting from a southpaw stance, Maliha began cautiously but soon took control, pinning her opponent against the cage and landing clean strikes in the opening round.
Pakistani 🇵🇰 #MMA fighters continue to shine at the #IMMAF World Championships in Georgia 🇬🇪. In a sensational victory, Maliha Ali, hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan, defeated Russian 🇷🇺 MMA star Veronika Drozdova, a two-time European 🇪🇺 champion who was considered the favourite to win her weight category.
— Naya Daur Videos (@nayadaurpk_urdu) November 3, 2026
She strengthened her advantage in the second round with a successful takedown, moving into full mount and delivering powerful strikes from the top. Although she appeared to tire in the final round, Drozdova’s late comeback was not enough to overturn the result.
Maliha celebrated the victory with her arms raised before embracing her opponent and prostrating herself on the mat with the Pakistan flag draped over her shoulders.
Maliha said the team had carefully studied her opponent’s fighting style and followed the coach’s instructions to execute their game plan.
Pakistan MMA Federation President Omar Ahmed said the federation had organised a six-week training camp and hired an international jiu-jitsu and grappling coach to address weaknesses identified during Maliha’s silver-medal performance at the IMMAF World Cup in Angola earlier this year.
He acknowledged that Pakistan faced a significant shortage of resources compared with countries such as Russia, which have well-funded mixed martial arts programmes.
Despite limited facilities and financial support, he said, Pakistani fighters continued to compete against formidable opponents through determination and hard work.
Maliha will face Mexico’s Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar in the quarter-finals today (Wednesday). Her twin sister, Manesha Ali, who won gold at the World Cup in Luanda earlier this year, will also compete in the quarter-finals against Poland’s Martyna Caruk, with both sisters aiming for world titles.
Pakistan’s campaign at last year’s IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi was also reported to have relied entirely on private sponsorship, without government funding. The 2026 IMMAF World Championships are being held from November 1 to 7, 2026 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
