K1 League: Indian team register convincing 8-3 win over UAE

Fighters from India (in blue) and team UAE (in red) who will take part in the inaugural Kumite 1 League, pose for the shutterbugs in Mumbai, Thursday, Sept 27, 2018. Pic/PTI

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta, one of the special guests at the Kumite 1 League at Worli's NSCI Dome, said that she likes "take downs in MMA (mixed martial arts)." Well, there were take downs galore as India faced UAE in a team battle on Saturday night.

In a terribly mismatched fightcard, the Indian team ended up winning more than just convincingly - 8-3. Team India went up 4-0 straightaway with Abhishek Raut, Kushal Vyas, Yadwinder Singh and Govind Ale, all winning their respective lighter weight fights via knockouts.

Team UAE pulled one back when Dmytro Batok stunned Antonio Gordillo. Haydar Hasan then made it a second win for Team UAE followed by Leandro da Silva beating Team India's Paulo Silva to reduce the margin to 3-4. Thereafter however, it was all India. Hardip Rai easily beat Mahmoud Fawaz, followed by a very impressive-looking Priyanka Toshi beating Team UAE's Fatemeh Moslemi via points in the only women's fight of the night. Toshi's dominant win drew a broad smile and lengthy applause from the league's ambassador and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who sat ringside throughout.

Kantharaj Agasa then beat Amer Elshnshoury to make it 7-3 in favour of the hosts. The title battle though promised to be a tough one with Mira Road boy Mohammad Farhad and UAE's Amr Abdelmalek fighting hard to win the K1 League Bantamweight World Championship. However, Farhad eventually emerged victorious 27-18 in the five-rounder to seal the night for Team India in style. Farhad's brother-in-law Azhar Khan was over the moon.

"Farhad has always loved fighting while growing up and that's why he chose MMA, and now to win in front of his home crowd is very special. It's a near-full house at the Dome here and I hope MMA and my brother-in-law take off from here," Azhar told mid-day, perfectly summing up the feeling at the Dome here last night.

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