UAE’s Zamzam Al-Hammadi emerges as world-class MMA and jiu-jitsu talent

ABU DHABI: Zamzam Al-Hammadi has emerged as one of the most promising MMA and jiu-jitsu athletes in the UAE after securing gold medals at both the IMMAF Youth World Championships at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi and the JJIF World Championship YOUTH in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Her performance in Abu Dhabi marked a significant milestone in the evolution of mixed martial arts in the UAE, as she became the nation’s first female world champion.
In the 52 kg final, she secured a unanimous points victory over Ukraine’s Kira Voliashchenko. Adding to her accolades, Al-Hammadi clinched gold in the under-18, 52 kg division at the JJIF World Championship YOUTH held in Astana last week.
“Honestly, jiu-jitsu and MMA are quite different, but jiu-jitsu has helped me a lot in MMA.

In the ground game, I use jiu-jitsu, while in the standup game, I employ kickboxing, Muay Thai, and boxing,” she said.
She maintains a strict training regimen that keeps her strong and motivated. “I usually train four times a day — twice in the morning, once for jiu-jitsu and once for MMA, and twice in the evening.

Additionally, I engage in cardio training at night. Our entire family trains together.”
Al-Hammadi started practicing jiu-jitsu when she was just 3 years old.

It has been 14 years since she began training. Despite being in the early stages of her career, she has already won a significant number of medals.
“I’ve earned over 500 medals so far, both internationally, regionally and locally.

With the grace of Allah, as I always say, I am aiming for bigger achievements and pushing myself harder,” said the Abu Dhabi schoolgirl.
Zamzam’s younger sister, Ghala Al-Hammadi, has also established herself as a genuine talent in both MMA and jiu-jitsu. She secured