On Friday, Seyamand Rida, a 25-year-old Kurdish professional mixed martial arts fighter also known as “The King”, beat Jordan’s Saleem Waleed at the UAE Warriors in Al Ain in the UAE.

“I just won a new fight in Dubai – one of the biggest fights of my career,” Rida told Kurdistan Chronicle.

“Seyamand Rida had superiority on the ground. RNC for the win,” the official Instagram page of UAE Warriors noted.

In a lightweight bout, Rida secured a submission victory in Round 2 against Waleed.

“The fight took place about an hour from Dubai, at UAE Warriors – one of the biggest MMA organizations in the world, easily top five or top seven. I’m now 5-0, and I finished my opponent in the second round,” Rida told Kurdistan Chronicle following the fight.

“It’s a very big professional stage, and for my next fight, I’m aiming for the belt in this organization. I hope to win it with the support of my Kurdish people behind me. As long as they stand with me, I’ll keep going strong, keep improving, and keep fighting hard.

“The story continues – one or two more fights could be huge for me. I want to put Kurdistan on the map, inshallah.”

Rida prepared for the match by training two times a day while fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and despite the ongoing war between Iran, Israel and the United States, which has affected the UAE.

“I didn’t know if the match was going to take place or not, but as you know, the UAE is a very proud and safe country and they took care of everything and it was not canceled.”

According his profile, Seyamand Rida is a 25-year-old professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter currently ranked #1,552 among MMA fighters in the Europe region. Rida is the #382-ranked fighter in the Middle East and Africa.

Born in Norway with roots in Kalar, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, he recently competed in the MEFC 6 Middleweight Championship in the UAE.

Read More: Seyamand Rida Secures Second Pro MMA Victory in UAE

Rida started training in jiu-jitsu when he was 16 years old, he previously told Kurdistan Chronicle. “I fell in love with the sport right away. I had a lot of energy growing up and used to get into fights, so martial arts gave me the discipline and focus I needed.”

“I began competing in grappling and had over 150 matches, winning many championships. In 2021, I made the switch to MMA and had my first official fight.”