Pakistani mixed martial arts fighter Anita Karim made history on Saturday by winning the first professional women’s MMA fight ever held in Pakistan.
The landmark bout took place in Islamabad during the Professional MMA League Infinite Championship.
Competing in the women’s 52kg title fight, Anita Karim delivered a dominant performance, knocking out Iran’s Parisa Shamsabadi in the very first round. The victory marked the first time Anita claimed a professional MMA title in front of a home crowd.
Hailing from Hunza, Anita Karim is Pakistan’s first professional female MMA fighter and has built a strong reputation through impressive performances in international competitions. Her latest triumph represents a major milestone for women’s combat sports in the country.
Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport that blends techniques from boxing, grappling, karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, often pushing fighters to their physical limits.
Anita’s journey has not been without personal challenges. Months earlier, she revealed that she had made the difficult decision to leave university after informing her parents of her determination to pursue a career in MMA—a decision that has now culminated in a historic achievement for Pakistan.
