Omran Chaaban pulled off a tough trick by knocking down defending champion Wisem Hammam.
Omran Chaaban became the champion of the intermediate division of UAE Warriors. AOP / Screenshot Instagram
Omran Chaaban23, surprised many in the UAE Warriors Intercontinental Championship match in Abu Dhabi.
The freestyle athlete from Helsinki, who received the biggest chance of his career so far, faced the reigning champion of the weight class Wisem Hammam and defeated the Italian known as a knockout machine in the fifth round with a side choke.
The victory was by no means easy, as Chaaban was in trouble in the previous installments. Hammami made Chaaban spit out his mouth guard and was able to hit back furiously, even though Chaaban had a length advantage.
The going changed in the last set. Chaaban, who gained new energy at the break, knocked down the Italian and got a decisive hold through the opponent’s mistake. Hammam, who won six of his eight career victories by knockout, defended his belt for the first time and failed immediately.
The intermediate series title is naturally significant for Chaaban’s career path. The UAE Warriors of the Emirates is one of the biggest promotions below the UFC, and the title belt is sure to generate interest in the upper echelons.
Iltalehti’s combat sports expert Jaakko Dahlbacka saw the championship match and considers the result a big step towards bigger matches. However, you shouldn’t rush into the UFC.
– I would hope that Omran would get a couple more matches there in the UAE Warriors before he ends up in the UFC shredder there. There, a less experienced athlete can make mistakes that would cost more in the UFC. A couple of good championship defenses, take a little money from there and fight high-quality, developing matches, the expert thinks about Chaaban’s future.
According to Dahlbacka, there could be two or three more matches until 2024.
– I would say that at the end of this year he would then go to watch the UFC.
The Finn, who mainly trains in Ireland, has a match record of six wins and one loss after Sunday.