Abbas Khan powers through to semis

Manama : Abbas Khan of the Bahrain-based Khalid Hamad Khalifa Mixed Martial Arts (KHK MMA) team defeated Australia’s Cody Barnwell by a unanimous decision in a quarter final match in the welterweight (56.7kg) division yesterday on Day 2 of the first edition of the 2017 International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Asian Amateur Open Championships at Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre in Singapore.

Khan will be in semi-final action today when he takes on Alex Sadovski of Belarus who defeated David Velisek of the Czech Republic via a submission - Ankle lock at 1 minute 17 seconds in the first round.

Meanwhile Hussein Ayyad and Nayef Fikri will begin their competition when Ayad takes on Kazakhstan’s Yernaz Mussabek who defeated India’s Siddiq bin Mahmood via submission - Teepee choke at 37 seconds in the first round in the flyweight division and Fikri faces British fighter Benjamin Robinson in the lightweight division.

The Bahrainis are accompanied by Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation board member Yousif Al Kooheji and coach Eldar Eldarov.

A total of 17 nations are participating - Australia, Bahrain, Belarus, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, UK and US, with Belarus, Chinese Taipei, Singapore and South Korea making their debuts.

Other results 

Bantamweight

1) Zhen Teng Lim (Singapore) bt Hyungwoo Hyun (Korea) via Unanimous Decision

2) Olzhas Moldagaliyev (Kazakhstan) bt Jean Alexander Romano (Australia) via Unanimous Decision

Featherweight

1) Daniel Schalander (Sweden) bt Kim Jinjae (Korea) via Referee stoppage (TKO) due to strikes at 1:33 Round 1

2) Bekzat Zhassiya (Kazakhstan) bt Katsuaki Aoyagi (China) via Unanimous Decision

3) Junior Faatui (Australia) bt Ho Shun Lin (China) via Unanimous Decision

4) Abdulmanap Magomedov (Russia) bt Jakub Tichota (Czech Republic) via Referee stoppage (TKO) due to strikes at 1:34 Round 2

Lightweight 

1) Jokhar Taimuskhanov (Kazakhstan) bt Eli Zgheib (Lebanon) via submission (Darce Choke) at 1:44 Round 1

Welterweight 

1) Axel Karlsson (Sweden) bt Vadim Huk (Belarus) via Unanimous Decision.

2) Zhan Kenzhebayev (Kazakhstan) bt Radek Dusil (Czech Republic) via submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:14 Round 1