Owais Yaqoob Becomes First J&K Fighter to Win Under BRAVE CF

Mixed martial arts fighter Owais Yaqoob is emerging as one of India’s promising combat-sports talents after securing a first-round stoppage victory over Bulgarian fighter Delyan Georgiev at BRAVE CF 107. The result brought Yaqoob wider recognition and strengthened his ambition of representing India at the highest level of international MMA.

Born in 1998 in Murran village in Pulwama district, Yaqoob began his sporting journey around 2012 by training in taekwondo and kickboxing. He subsequently won more than a dozen medals in national-level martial arts competitions before transitioning to mixed martial arts as the sport’s popularity and professional opportunities expanded.

Yaqoob made his professional MMA debut at Matrix Fight Night 11 in New Delhi in 2023 but suffered a third-round submission defeat. The setback exposed weaknesses in his wrestling and ground-fighting abilities, prompting him to focus on developing a more complete skill set instead of relying mainly on his striking background.

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As part of that effort, Yaqoob travelled to Dagestan, Russia, a region renowned for producing elite wrestlers and MMA champions. The intensive training helped him improve his takedown defence, ground control and composure inside the cage. He later recorded victories in competitions held across India, Kazakhstan and China, demonstrating the progress made since his debut.

His victory over Georgiev attracted particular attention because the Bulgarian is a training and sparring partner of UFC champion Ilia Topuria. Yaqoob also became the first fighter from Jammu and Kashmir to compete and win under BRAVE Combat Federation, marking an important milestone for the region’s growing combat-sports community.

Beyond his professional career, Yaqoob established the Lion’s Den Martial Arts Academy in Pulwama in 2015 to train and support local youth. The academy has reportedly worked with more than 200 young athletes. With momentum building around his career, Yaqoob is now aiming to earn a place on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster and represent India on MMA’s biggest global platform.

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