| Owais Yaqoob | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1998 (age 26–27) Murran, Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Reach | 69.7 in (177 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Kashmir, India |
| Team | American Kickboxing Academy Team Khabib |
| Trainer | Khabib Nurmagomedov Javier Mendez |
| Years active | 2023–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 5 |
| Wins | 4 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 0 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 0 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: 14 November 2025 | |
Owais Yaqoob (born 1998) is an Indian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. He is the first professional MMA fighter from Jammu and Kashmir and trains at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) under Khabib Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez. [1] In October 2025, Nurmagomedov publicly praised Yaqoob's progress during training. [2]
Owais Yaqoob was born in 1998 in Murran village, Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. He began training in martial arts in 2013, starting with taekwondo. [3] [4] Over the following decade, Yaqoob competed in national taekwondo competitions, winning 11 gold medals and six silver medals. [5]
Prior to turning professional, Yaqoob won three national amateur MMA titles. [6] [7] To prepare for his professional debut, he trained in grappling and wrestling in Chandigarh under coach Gurkaran Singh, striking and footwork at Sumo Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia, and spent two months at the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School in Dagestan, Russia, under Islam Makhachev. [8] [9]
Yaqoob made his professional MMA debut on 31 March 2023 at Matrix Fight Night 11 in New Delhi, where he lost to Neeraj Panghal via third-round submission (guillotine choke). [1] [10]
He secured his first professional win on 9 March 2024 against Azim Mokhlis at Matrix Fight Night 14 by unanimous decision. [1] On 21 December 2024, Yaqoob defeated Amanzhol Khaisa via unanimous decision at Naiza FC 70 in Semey, Kazakhstan. [1] [11] [12]
Yaqoob earned back-to-back knockout victories in 2025. On 19 April 2025, he stopped Shetty Pratik Sadashiv via second-round TKO (punches) at Veswa Fight Championship 4 in Panchkula, Haryana. [1] [13] His most recent fight, on 19 September 2025, saw him make his debut for Brave Combat Federation at BRAVE CF 98 in Zhengzhou, China, where he defeated Ian Paul Lora via first-round TKO (punches). [1] This victory marked the first win for a fighter from Jammu and Kashmir in BRAVE CF. [4] [14]
In October 2023, Yaqoob was signed as a brand ambassador for Cemtac Cements, a Kashmir-based company. [15]
Yaqoob founded Lion's Den Martial Arts Academy in Pulwama in 2015, where he has trained over 200 youths in martial arts; several of his students have represented Jammu and Kashmir at the national level and won medals. [16] [17] [18]
As of November 2025, Yaqoob holds a professional record of 4–1 and is ranked 11th among professional men's lightweights in South Asia by Tapology. [19] He has expressed his goal of competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. [20]
| 5 matches | 4 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By submission | 0 | 1 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 4–1 | Ian Paul Lora | TKO (punches) | BRAVE CF 98 | 19 September 2025 | 1 | 1:54 | China | |
| Win | 3–1 | Shetty Pratik Sadashiv | TKO (punches) | Veswa Fight Championship 4 | 19 April 2025 | 2 | 1:45 | India | |
| Win | 2–1 | Amanzhol Khaisa | Decision (unanimous) | Naiza FC 70 | 21 December 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Kyrgyzstan | |
| Win | 1–1 | Azim Mokhlis | Decision (unanimous) | Matrix Fight Night 14 | 9 March 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Neeraj Panghal | Submission (guillotine choke) | Matrix Fight Night 11 | 31 March 2023 | 3 | 1:24 | India |