Bashir Ahmad (mixed martial artist)

Bashir Ahmad (born October 12, 1982) is a Pakistani-American professional mixed martial artist who is known as the "God-father of Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan". He is famous for being the pioneer of mixed martial arts in Pakistan. He is currently signed with ONE Championship.

Background
Bashir Ahmad was born in the city of Faisalabad in Punjab, Pakistan, but moved to Great Falls, Virginia, United States, with his parents when he was three years old. In 2002, he pursued a career in the U.S. military, joining the Virginia National Guard. In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq when the war broke out. He was stationed in Mosul, working as a U.S. Army medic in a team that disarmed explosives. Ahmad started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu around 2005, when the boom of MMA was taking place in North America.

He came to Lahore, Pakistan in 2007 with the aim of promoting MMA in his native country. After training local kids jiu jitsu for some time, he went to Thailand for a year to train in Muay Thai. On his return to Pakistan in 2009, he set up a small MMA training gym in his own apartment. The apartment was so filthy that he named it 'The Slaughterhouse'.

In 2012, Ahmad opened a proper gym named "Synergy MMA Academy" in Lahore which has grown to become one of the biggest gyms in the country.

PAK MMA
Bashir Ahmad laid the foundations of Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan with his arrival in Pakistan in 2007. The purpose of Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan was to promote all martial arts and combat sports in the country while mainly focusing on MMA. Working on his purpose, he went around whole country organizing seminars mostly for BJJ and MMA and helped in conducting the very first MMA fighting events.

ONE Championship career
Bashir Ahmad was the first Pakistani to fight MMA on international platform when he made his debut in ONE Championship by fighting Shannon Wiratchai at ONE Championship: Kings and Champions on April 5, 2013. Ahmad got a cut in the first round but doctors let the fight continue and Ahmad won his debut fight through unanimous decision. At ONE Championship: Champions and Warriors, he lost by Bruno Pucci who holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He fought Tanaphong Khunhankaew at ONE FC: Roar of the Tigers and won by submitting him with Rear naked choke.

In ONE Championship: Valor of Champions, Bashir Ahmad stepped in to fight Amir Khan Ansari on a 3-day notice when Shannon Wiratchai, original opponent of Khan was injured. Bashir Ahmad lost that fight by TKO on Doctor's Stoppage. Bashir Ahmad was scheduled to fight Martin Nguyen at ONE Championship: Odyssey of Champions but the fight was cancelled when Jadamba Narantungalag couldn't appear to fight for the main title match and Martin Nguyen took his place.

Bashir Ahmad submitted his Egyptian opponent Mahmoud Mohamed in 83 seconds at ONE Championship: State of Warriors