Israeli teen beats reigning world champion to claim under-21 MMA title

In Serbia, Shaked Nisimian, 19, becomes first Israeli to win gold at an MMA international tournament — despite only training in the sport for several months

By ToI Staff 17 February 2023, 1:15 pm Edit
Shaked Nisimian celebrates winning the uner-21 MMA world championship, February 16, 2023. (Screenshot/Twitter; Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Shaked Nisimian celebrates winning the uner-21 MMA world championship, February 16, 2023. (Screenshot/Twitter; Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Nineteen-year-old Shaked Nisimian became the first Israeli to win a gold medal at an MMA World Championships, beating the reigning champion on Thursday to claim the under-21 title in Serbia.

Fighting in the 70-kilogram category, Nisimian, whose sister Roni Nisimian was also fighting at the tournament, won the contest by judge’s vote after three rounds of fighting against her Uzbek competitor, sparking wild celebrations among her team.

“I’m so excited to have won the first gold medal [for Israel] in MMA, alongside my amazing coaches… [and] to hear our anthem again, this time in a new MMA [fighting] format for me,” Nisimian was quoted as saying by Hebrew-language media following her triumph.

“This was just a taste of the many exciting moments ahead that will come with God’s help,” she added.

Nisimian’s victory is astonishing given she only joined the sport in recent months, having previously focused her efforts on jiu-jitsu, where she won the European title.

On top of that, the event in Serbia was the first international MMA tournament to feature an Israeli women’s team.

Israel’s adult fighters were less successful in the competition, with Moshe Eldi falling to his Portuguese opponent in the quarterfinal. Shaked Nisimian’s sister Roni was defeated in the round of 16.

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