Hamdy Abdelwahab Becomes First-Ever Egyptian to win UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced Egypt’s Hamdy Abdelwahab’s victory over America’s Don’Tale Mayes on Sunday, 31 July.

Abdelwahab is the first Egyptian to play and win at a UFC event. Dubbed as “The Hammer”, the 29-year-old won his UFC debut with only 12 days’ notice.

Official results by UFC revealed that Abdelwahab defeated Mayes by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Split decision typically suggests there were differing opinions among the three judges, one of the outcomes possible in a UFC fight.

“InshAllah this is the first step to the top,” Abdelwahab said in an Instagram post. “I was made for this.”

A former Olympic wrestler, Abdelwahab received a silver medal in 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, a bronze medal at 2014 world championships in USA, and is a 14-time gold medal winner in the African championships in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling.

UFC is the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization (MMA). Over the past decade, UFC gained wide popularity globally, surpassing all other combat sports such as kickboxing, wrestling, boxing, and Jiu-Jitsu.

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