Maliha Ali Wins Bronze at MMA Worlds as Pakistan Appeals Semi-Final

Maliha Ali has won a bronze medal at the IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, after a controversial semi-final loss to Russia's Polina Baldina, and the Pakistan MMA Federation has filed a formal appeal over the decision. Her run at the world championships ended in a bronze medal and a dispute on Thursday, November 5, with the federation challenging the judges' scorecards.

Maliha Ali fought with a fractured toe, a severely bruised eyelid and a partially dislocated jaw. She fought anyway. When Omar Ahmed, president of the Pakistan MMA Federation, asked if she could compete, her response was simple, and she walked into the cage injured rather than withdraw from the biggest fight of her career.

Maliha Ali: Bronze After a Disputed Semi-Final

The semi-final was a featherweight bout at 65.8kg against Polina Baldina of Russia. Baldina, 23, is a former world champion in a different MMA federation, having won a world title in Khanty-Mansiysk in 2024, and she had won three bouts on her way to the final.

The scorecards told three different stories. One judge scored the bout 30-27 for Baldina, giving Maliha no rounds at all. Another scored it 29-28 for Maliha. The third scored it 29-28 for Baldina. Three judges, three different scorecards, and the decision went to the Russian by split decision.

Some early reports on social media suggested that Maliha Ali had reached the final, but the official result is a bronze medal after the semi-final loss. The confusion came from the speed of the news cycle, but Dawn confirms the semi-final result and the bronze medal, and the federation's appeal is now the story.

Maliha Ali: The Road to the Semi-Final

Maliha Ali had a run of her own before the semi-final. She beat another Russian in the same division on Tuesday, two-time European champion Veronika Drozdova, by split decision, in one of the biggest wins of her career. Drozdova, 19, came into the bout with a reputation as one of the best young fighters in Europe.

Maliha then reached the semi-final with a unanimous decision over Mexico's Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar, a Pan American champion. The win over Guzman showed that the victory over Drozdova was no accident, and it put Maliha one win away from the final.

Maliha Ali, 24, comes from Hunza. She is a wushu champion and a national kickboxing gold medallist, and she came into the world championships after winning silver at the IMMAF World Cup in Angola. Her twin sister, Manesha Ali, also fought in Tbilisi and won gold at the IMMAF World Cup in Angola earlier this year, but she lost by split decision to Poland's Martyna Karuk in the quarter-final of the 70.3kg category.

Maliha Ali Fought Through Serious Injuries

The most striking part of Maliha Ali's story is that she fought the semi-final while badly hurt. She had a fractured toe, a severely bruised eyelid and a partially dislocated jaw before the bout, and the federation president asked her whether she could compete.

Her decision to fight anyway has made her a hero at home, where fans have praised her courage as much as her skill. Fighting through a fractured toe and a dislocated jaw is rare even in a sport built on toughness, and it explains why the disputed decision has stung so much in Pakistan.

The injuries also raise questions about how much more she could have done at full fitness. Against Baldina, a former world champion, she lost by the narrowest of margins on two of the three scorecards, and one judge had her winning the fight.

Pakistan's Appeal and What Happens Next

The Pakistan MMA Federation has submitted a formal letter to the Head of the IMMAF Refereeing and Judging Commission, requesting a round-by-round breakdown of the scoring, an explanation for the disparate scorecards, and a face-to-face technical review of both fights.

The federation president, Omar Ahmed, said the Pakistani side considers the semi-final result unfair. In its appeal, the federation also noted that Pakistan had already lost a World Championships semi-final bout by split decision last year, and it wants the judging reviewed properly.

The appeal is pending. Maliha Ali leaves Tbilisi with a bronze medal and, her federation insists, a claim to something more. Whatever the appeal decides, she has already made history as one of Pakistan's most successful MMA fighters, and her bronze is the country's best result at the IMMAF World Championships.

Maliha Ali: Frequently Asked Questions

What did Maliha Ali win at the MMA World Championships? Maliha Ali won a bronze medal in the featherweight division at 65.8kg at the IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Who did Maliha Ali lose to in the semi-final? She lost by split decision to Russia's Polina Baldina, a former world champion, after three judges returned three different scorecards.

Why has Pakistan appealed the semi-final decision? The Pakistan MMA Federation says the result was unfair. One judge scored the bout 30-27 for Baldina, another scored it 29-28 for Maliha, and the third scored it 29-28 for Baldina.

Who did Maliha Ali beat on her way to the semi-final? She beat two-time European champion Veronika Drozdova by split decision, then beat Mexico's Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar by unanimous decision.

Did Maliha Ali reach the final? No. Some early social media reports said she had reached the final, but the official result is a bronze medal after the semi-final loss to Baldina.