New Delhi
MMA fighter from Kashmir Owais Yaqoob, who is training at the American Kickboxing Academy under the supervision of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, put up a powerful and explosive performance at Brew CF 103.
His bout left the fans in awe and was a moment of joy for Indian MMA fans.
This year has been a very disappointing one for the Indian MMA community. He faced several defeats at the global elite level.
Owais Yaqoob was originally scheduled to fight Zakharuddin Gafurov at Brew CF 103 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on December 23.
Alhamdulilah won with first round finish ❤️☝🏼📈@owaisyaqoob313 pic.twitter.com/2MplDR7ELy
— Owais yaqoob (@owaisyaqoob313) December 23, 2025
However, his opponent withdrew from the bout a few weeks before the scheduled date. Owais Yaqoob then faced Mehmet Jan Tasdov in a lightweight bout.
Owais Yaqoob, who honed his skills while training with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, displayed a level of seriousness and aggression rarely seen from a new fighter on the big stage.
As soon as the starting bell rang, Owais Yaqoob took complete control of the fight. He kept the pressure on his opponent with his strong wrestling skills.
He pinned his opponent against the cage and delivered a series of powerful knees to the face. A knee landed directly on the head, knocking him down, and he finished the fight with a ruthless ground and pound. Owaise won by a quick TKO in the first round, coming in under 1:30. The stunning victory stunned fans and his fighting style reminded many of Khabib Nurmagomedov, with whom he has been training.
The real OG
OWAIS YAQOOB
JUS WON ANOTHER FIGHTER in Kazakhstan #mfn #owaisyaqoob pic.twitter.com/ffuC6LJa46
— Asfield (@Asfield3) December 21, 2024
Owais Yaqoob is training under the supervision of Javier Mendez, head coach of the American Kickboxing Academy. He has had the opportunity to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev and other top Dagestani fighters. His recent performance has shown a clear improvement in his game. At Brave CF 103, Yaqoob extended his winning streak to 5.
His MMA record is 5-1, and his only loss was against Neeraj Panghal in his first professional bout at Matrix Fight Night 11.
Owais Yaqoob, who hails from Kashmir in J&K revealed that he trained with Indian UFC fighter Anshal Jubilee during the camp for Brave CF 103. In the Octagon interview, he thanked Anshal Jubilee and said that Indian fighters are among the best in the game.
CLIMBING THE RANKS 📈 Owais Yaqoob secured another dominant victory at BRAVE CF. What should be next for him in BRAVE CF?#IndianMMA #OwaisYaqoob #MMA #India #BRAVECF #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/Txv3ZV7YIp
— LockerRoom (@lockerroom_in) December 24, 2025
Owais Yaqoob said, “I want to thank my training partner in India. I train with UFC fighter Anshal Jubilee. We worked hard with many coaches in India for this camp and proved here that we are the best.”
ALSO READ: Five places in India where Christmas comes alive in spirit and celebration
Yaqoob also said that he wants to compete against strong opponents and his dream is to become the first Brave champion from India. On the other hand, Anshal Jubilee is on a break after a 19-second knockout loss to Quilon Salkold at UFC 312.