Bashir Ahmad and UFC legend Rich Franklin to handpick local fighters for extensive training
Pakistani MMA Star, Bashir Ahmad and UFC legend, Rich Franklin will be picking and training local fighters, who will undergo further training to feature in international competitions at the Shaheen Academy in Lahore.
Pakistan's very own, skilled and talented Mixed Martial Artist, Bashir Ahmad has returned to his homeland after a two-year gap with a vision to promote the sport at the national and international levels.
Known as the godfather of the sport in Pakistan, he has returned with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend Rich Franklin, who also serves as Vice President of One Championship.
The duo will be picking and training local fighters, who will undergo further training to feature in international competitions, at the Shaheen Academy in Lahore.
The academy was established by Ahmed himself in 2015.
Talking about his motivations behind his return to Pakistan, Ahmed said that he was looking for some of the top talent in the country in order to train them to compete internationally.
"We will also visit ONE Warrior Series this year, which will be hosting Pakistani athletes again next year after several of them competed in the competition back in 2019." said Ahmad.
Bashir also remarked that the purpose of MMA Pakistan is to promote all martial arts and combat sports in the country, with specific attention to MMA. He had been involved with Mixed Martial Arts in Pakistan for more than ten years now.
He introduced the sport in Pakistan back in 2007 through seminars and further laid the foundation of the MMA movement in the country before heading abroad.
Ahmed was the first person to represent Pakistan at an international MMA event, winning at ONE Championship, and also holds the most wins by a Pakistani in the championship history.
