Emirati girl Balqees Al Hashmi dominated her Russian opponent Maria Odintsova to clinch her first Jiu-Jitsu bout inside a steel cage with an Omoplata submission move at the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC5) on Friday evening.
“I was really excited about this fight. I couldn’t sleep thinking about it. I woke up a few times thinking it was morning. I came here a few hours before the fight. I did my warm-ups. I felt confident. I wasn’t nervous,” Balqees told Khaleej Times after her victory in front of a boisterous crowd at Mubadala Arena.
Stepping into a cage fight for the first time in her career, the 20-year-old Abu Dhabi-based Jiu-Jitsu fighter used her grappling skills to perfection.
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“All my training in my camp has been helpful. Training three times a day, I changed my schedule and diet for this fight. It was tough, but I got used to it.”
Right from the start, Balqees dominated Maria on the mat with her grappling techniques and used the octagon as a tool.
“Stepping into the cage felt really good. I adapted quickly. It was a nice experience. I used the cage to try to pass her guard. And whenever you put your opponent into the cage, you have an advantage of winning a point. So, I managed to keep her into the cage. I was able to attack more,” said Balqees as she secured a unanimous decision of 30-27, 29-27, and 30-26 verdict in the three-round Jiu-Jitsu atomweight prelims bout.
“I put all my power and skills to use in the first round. I felt good. I knew I had won the round. The second one was pretty even. We were both attacking. I thought I was attacking more, but I wasn’t sure if I won the round. I got hurt in my leg, but I didn’t want to leave my fate to the judge’s decision. In the third round, I was determined to score good points. I gave it my all. I wanted to leave the cage with a win.”
Ready for next challenge
Though Balqees dominated all the rounds, she gave credit to her opponent.
“I saw her videos. She had fought here before. I knew her skills. She was good with her leg attacks. I was looking for a submission. I tried an Omoplata move. But she defended really well. I was aiming to get points. I knew she was getting tired. So, I thought I would take advantage of the moment. I reached over her and attacked. I ensured I was moving more than her and attacking more.”
In the end, she was able to deploy the versatile submission move successfully.
“I would like to thank everyone for their support. My teammates, family, especially my friend Mariam Al Ali, and coach Marina Ribeiro. I’m ready for my next challenge,” Balqees noted.