MMA competition featuring Azerbaijanis kicks off in US

A multi-stage professional fighting tournament, The Gauntlet, has officially launched in New York, US, organised by the American-Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Association in collaboration with the CSE Combat association. 

The event attracts prominent MMA fighters from across the US and draws a large audience of sports enthusiasts. The tournament’s primary aim is to assess both the physical and mental resilience of competitors while spotlighting emerging fighters, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The Gauntlet also includes MMA and kickboxing matches, where rising talents have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in high-stakes bouts. The competition follows a single-elimination format, with eight fighters in each weight category competing fiercely to advance to subsequent stages.

Elgun Khanoghlanli, founder of the American-Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Association and US-based Azerbaijani athlete and world and European champion, noted that the tournament is being held for the first time and is the organisation's first international sports project in the US.

"Our organisation was founded in 2023. It includes Azerbaijani athletes living and competing in the US. Among them are MMA fighters, including Nazim Sadykhov. We are working on projects that will allow Azerbaijani athletes to prove themselves in the US. This tournament is one such project," he said.

The opening round showcased bouts across multiple weight divisions, with victors securing positions in the second round. Among the competitors were three athletes trained by Azerbaijani coach Teymur Hasanov. Two of these athletes, both Ukrainians, won their fights by knockout, celebrating their victories with Azerbaijani flags.

The evening concluded with additional MMA and kickboxing bouts, and the fighters’ impressive performances captured significant attention from the sports audience.

By Jeyhun Aghazada