Though the Pakistani fighter, who is training in the UK, showed ring rust and nerves in the beginning of the fight, he managed to hold his own together and controlled the pace of the fight later. He took his opponent down and within moments, Cheema was throwing heavy blows from full mount position.
Furqan Cheema is 9-1 Amateur MMA.
Furqan admitted that this was not his best performance and he made a few errors due to nerves and inexperience, but he has secured the important win and that is what matters most. "I got the win tonight. I made errors but it's all a learning curve,” he said.
He also praised his opponent calling him a tough competitor, adding that he would like to fight more frequently because long spells away from the cage were taking a toll mentally.
Cheema with family members and coaches after the win.
Cheema also thanked all the fans, friends, family members and his coaches Jamie Paxman, Tanny Hussain and Jay TeamHanson for continuous support and encouragement.
Furqan (1-0 Pro MMA) hails from Rawalpindi but has been training in Bradford for quite some years. He holds a stunning 9-1 amateur record and also holds a 2-0-0 boxing record.
Furqan’s manager and owner of Prime Sports Management Muhammad Rizwan Ali said that he believed Cheema was ready for pro-MMA debut now. He also hinted that Cheema could well be on his way to either ONE Championship or Brave Combat Federation in the near future.
The Pakistani fighter comes from a household of fighters and champions. His family successfully runs the KBW (Khalid Bin Waleed) boxing gym in Dewsbury.
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