Srinagar

“I want a belt; A belt for India. India is waiting for my belt.”

This is what MMA fighter Owais Yaqoob, who hails from the small village of Muran in Pulwama district, have come to represent more than the determination of a fighter. They reflect the aspirations of a growing Indian MMA community dreaming of a world champion.

In his recent bout in Bulgaria, Yaqoob delivered a brilliant performance against strong home fighter Dalyan, finishing the contest in about four minutes in the first round. The victory improved his world ranking and raised hopes among Indian MMA fans.

In an exclusive interview with Yasmin Khan for Awaz-the Voice, Yaqoob spoke about his journey from Kashmir to the international stage, the hardships he faced, lessons learned from defeat, his training with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, his ambition to win a world title for India, and the future of MMA.

Owais Yaqoob with Yasmeen Khan

Yaqoob hails from Muran village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Growing up, he never imagined that he would become a professional fighter. He initially participated in Thang Ta, Karate, Taekwondo and other martial arts, competing in several national-level events under the Sports Council.

However, he felt that these rule-based disciplines did not fully bring out his fighting ability. In 2017, he decided to pursue Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) professionally.

At the time, Kashmir was witnessing considerable disturbances, and Yaqoob faced uncertainty over whether MMA could become a viable career. He says he eventually began his professional career in 2022, after having already won five fights in a single night.

A day with our Honourable Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Mr. @OmarAbdullah . 🤝

Grateful for your appreciation, kind words, and encouragement. Your support gives me even more motivation to take the next step and keep working towards bigger goals.

Alhamdulillah for every… pic.twitter.com/J4rQPLFJh3

— Owais yaqoob (@owaisyaqoob313) August 10, 2026

His parents were initially unhappy with his decision. Like many Kashmiri families, they wanted him to pursue a conventional career such as medicine, engineering or government service. Fighting was seen more as a hobby than a profession.

When Yaqoob began teaching martial arts to children at Shah Hamdan School, his family questioned how he could teach MMA when he had yet to achieve significant success himself.

But Yaqoob remained determined. As his victories began to accumulate, his family changed its opinion. Today, his parents are among his biggest supporters.

The defeat that changed everything

Yaqoob often recalls one particular defeat as a turning point in his career.

At the time, he was so confident in his abilities that he believed nobody could defeat him. During one bout, he dominated the first two rounds but was caught in a choke hold in the third and lost the fight.

The defeat forced him to reassess his approach to competition. He decided to travel to Dagestan for rigorous training.

Looking back, Yaqoob says that without that defeat, he might never have gone to Dagestan. There, he found not only a demanding fighting environment but also a culture that reminded him strongly of Kashmir—the mountains, food, hospitality and traditions.

We are made under pressure. ⚔️

Because pressure makes diamonds. 💎
And warriors are forged in the moments that try to break them.

No pressure. No growth.
No struggle. No strength#owaisyaqoob @owaisyaqoob313 pic.twitter.com/KM5KPDaN03

— Owais yaqoob (@owaisyaqoob313) August 9, 2026

After returning from the experience, he rebuilt himself as a fighter. He has now won six consecutive bouts and finished his last four fights.

Yaqoob is currently training with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, one of the world’s leading MMA camps. His mentor is Javier Mendez, who also coached Khabib.

The team has produced some of the sport’s biggest names, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Kamaru Usman and Omar Nurmagomedov.

For Yaqoob, however, the most important lesson he learned there was mental strength rather than technique.

Before fights, he would often worry about how to deal with his opponent. The resulting adrenaline and mental pressure affected his preparation. Khabib and his team taught him that a fighter can control only his training, discipline and preparation—not the result.

For Yaqoob, the philosophy also connects with his religious beliefs. He says he followed the same principle in his recent bout: complete the preparation and then leave the result to Allah.

Four-minute finish in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian bout was among the biggest tests of Yaqoob’s career. His opponent, Dalyan, was a two-time IMMAF World Champion and a European Champion.

Yaqoob admitted that he felt pressure before the fight, particularly because the home crowd was firmly behind his opponent.

He remained composed, studied Dalyan’s weaknesses and prepared his strategy. He entered the cage determined to finish the fight as soon as an opportunity arose.

Owais Yaqoob With IGP Tajinder Singh in Srinagar

The opportunity came quickly. The bout ended in about four minutes.

“India is waiting for my belt”

Before the fight, a video of Yaqoob went viral on social media in which he excitedly declared: “I want a belt. I want a belt for India. India is waiting for my belt.”

For Yaqoob, the statement represented more than personal ambition. He sees it as an expression of the aspirations of India’s MMA community. He says India is still waiting for a world champion in major international MMA competitions and hopes to fill that gap.

Yaqoob believes that if an Indian fighter enters a major world organisation carrying the Indian flag and finishes a fight in the first round, global attention will turn towards Indian MMA.

He is convinced that India has enormous potential and that the time has come for that talent to receive global recognition.

Yaqoob also carries his Kashmiri identity into the international arena.

During his first trip to a European country, when he had no Kashmiri or Indian fighter accompanying him, he decided to wear the traditional karakuli cap. He said wearing it made him feel that Kashmir was with him.

Yaqoob wants people around the world to associate Kashmir with its hospitality, politeness, culture and traditions. His traditional attire attracted considerable attention, with several people asking to take photographs with him.

He also says he has not received the official recognition he deserves. But, he insists, recognition is not only about himself. He wants it to motivate others who have chosen MMA as a profession.

Although his academy in Kashmir is small, fighters from different parts of India come there for training. Fighters from Dubai and the UK have also travelled to Pulwama to train.

“I’m not just fighting for myself anymore”

The response to his Bulgarian victory reinforced Yaqoob’s belief that his journey has grown beyond his personal ambitions.

“I’m not just fighting for myself anymore,” he says.

After the victory, he received messages and calls from across India. People from Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu invited him to join their celebrations. He also saw videos of elderly people sitting by the roadside watching his fight.

The response made him realise, he says, that he was no longer fighting only for himself but for India’s youth and the country’s MMA community.

According to Yaqoob, the fight also recorded nearly 200 million views in India, surpassing the organisation’s previous viewership record.

Following his latest victory, Yaqoob has risen to second place in the rankings. The fighter above him is the current champion and has considerably more professional experience.

Yaqoob prefers to progress step by step rather than immediately challenge a major name. His upcoming training camps with coach Javier Mendez are scheduled to take place at various locations, including the United States and Pakistan.

He plans to thoroughly analyse his next opponent before deciding whether he needs one or two more fights before challenging for the title.

Owais Yaqoob with young children in Kashmir

His ambition is to win a world-class MMA belt for India.

The three months leading up to his latest fight were extremely difficult, Yaqoob says. Despite shoulder and ankle injuries, he continued training. Losing weight was another major challenge, as he had to cut down to 68 kilograms for the first time. During the final week before the fight, he also developed a fever and had to take medication.

Yet he continued training and cutting weight.

Yaqoob says spectators see only the few minutes of action inside the cage, while a fighter’s real life is spent preparing for that moment. After a fight, he gets only two or three days to celebrate before training begins again.

Yaqoob says he generally controls his calorie intake and focuses on protein, and yet favours a balanced diet rather than imposing severe restrictions on himself.

He eats his favourite food once a week. Among his indulgences is homemade mango-and-yoghurt ice cream.