Pakistan’s “Wolverine” knocks out Indian “Kerala Krusher” in 56 Seconds

India vs Pakistan in MMA: Ahmed Mujtaba competes against Rahul Raju in One Championship

Pakistan’s Wolverine “Ahmed Mujtaba” defeated India’s Kerala Krusher “Rahul Raju”. Mujtaba defeated Rahul in only 56 seconds in the first round of the mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. ONE Championship was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 5 Feb.

The competition

According to a report on the championship‘s website, Mujtaba put down the first blow shortly after the participants touched gloves as he delivered a well-aimed kick on Raju’s lead leg. Without wasting any time, he came in again, hoping to land a punch but Raju bounced it.

Kerala Crusher then bounced back in the hope of regaining momentum. But Mujtaba thwarted any such plan by landing another kick. Raju again “pawed his jaw and then moved forward with a wild right hand” but Mujtaba stopped him and stepped back.

Ahmad and Rahul circled each other for the next few seconds simultaneously landing strong-side roundhouse kicks to the legs. Pakistan’s Wolverine tried to keep up the pressure on the Indian athlete with a three-piece boxing combo which was deflected by Raju.

After a failed attempt, Mujtaba returned to the center to reset himself. Seeing it as an opportunity, Kerala Crusher “massively clung to the body”. But Mujtaba jumped back to avoid a powerful shot.

Rahul Raj, however, refused to back down. He launched a wild overhand right that was not only avoided by Pakistan‘s Wolverine but was countered with a “picture-perfect overhand right to the chin” that apparently confused the Indian athlete.

The blow put the match powerfully on Mujtaba’s side who landed a short right that sealed his victory.

After 56 seconds of the first round, the referee officially stopped the match which gave Mujtaba his third victory on the world stage and made his overall record 10-2.

Dedication of Mujtaba’s victory

After the fight, a video was released on Twitter. Mujtaba said he had fulfilled his promise to win the fight, dedicating it to his Kashmiri people.
He said that he will dedicate this fight to all his Kashmiri brothers, Kashmiri people, and the fighters of the Pakistan Army, and his fans around the world. Moreover, he said, “Allah willing, we will continue to win and keep waving the flag of Pakistan”

According to the ONE Championship, Mujtaba had started competing in the featherweight category. But later in the match with Raju, he went into his natural weight class.
Earlier, Pakistan and India competed in the championship in November 2019. Raju won that match by submitting Pakistan’s Furqan Cheema in the second round.

Before Competition

Ahmed Mujtaba vows to dedicate the victory to the people of Pakistan and IIOJK. Rahul Raju was coming off a win against his fellow countryman, Furqan Cheema. Mujtaba had one thing in his mind which was redemption. The fights between Pakistan vs India are always interesting in any sport. Now we are throwing down in a cage.

I am sure that I will finish him either on the feet or submit it on the ground. I am the BJJ brown belt under the Astra Fight team and he is also the brown belt. It will be a good fight to show off my Fighting skills. Commenting on his preparations for the mega match, he said that he has learned new tools while training in the Astra Fight team.

Training

Under head coach Marcelo Brigadeiro, I learned a lot of new tools training at Astra Fight Team. Moreover, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu professor and fellow ONE Championship fight Gilberto Galvao also taught me many tools. I intend to use every tool in the fight. ‘The Kerala Krusher’ Rahul Raju is the SFC Welterweight Champion and has scored an impressive run in ONE Championship. He has become Mujtaba’s toughest opponent on paper.

Ahmed said in a video “I am training hard and I will dedicate this competition to the people of Pakistan and the residents of Kashmir who have been under unlawful Indian Occupation”.

The fight was booked and scrapped twice before due to Mujtaba’s visa cancelation. But now it can draw attention for the third time.
Muhammad Rizwan Ali is the manager of Ahmad Mujtaba. He commented on the fight and said, he is satisfied with Ahmed’s preparation. I am very confident that Ahmed will win this fight as he has just come out of a long layover and there is a huge return of fire in his body.

About MMA star

Ahmed Mujtaba ‘Wolverine’ of Quetta is one of the brilliant martial arts stars to emerge from Pakistan. Armed with an impressive record, Mujtaba has won since his debut in 2013, and he has proved his spirit in an interesting and effective way.

In addition, he made every sacrifice essential to succeed in martial arts, while he was a full-time student of the Balochistan University of Information Technology. Ahmed managed his life as a student with that of a professional martial artist. To prepare for competition, he frequently left his fiancée behind to make a tough 20-hour drive to a gym in Islamabad for his training camps.

Now he is a graduate and can train full-time. Ahmed is driven by the idea of putting his homeland on the international radar, as well as bringing to Pakistan the values of honor, dignity and competitive spirit that he feels are essential to martial arts. He is willing to do whatever he wants, and whatever he faces, to become a great champion. He was ready to make a great start on the global stage of ONE Championships, beating Singapore’s top talent Benedict Ang on his promotional debut.