# Maliha Ali wins bronze at IMMAF worlds; Pakistan appeals split-decision semi-final loss

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/mma/maliha-ali-wins-bronze-at-immaf-worlds-pakistan-appeals-split-decision-semi)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 6 Nov 2026
Updated: 6 Nov 2026
Retrieved: 6 Nov 2026

> The Hunza fighter beat a European champion and Mexico's Guzman Salazar before a 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 split went to Russia's Polina Baldina.

**Pakistan's Maliha Ali has won bronze at the IMMAF World Championships** in Tbilisi, Georgia, after a split-decision loss to Russia's **Polina Baldina** in the featherweight (65.8kg) semi-final on Thursday 5 November, [Dawn reported](https://www.dawn.com/news/2042574/maliha-ali-takes-bronze-at-mma-worlds-as-pakistan-appeals-semi-final-decision). The **Pakistan MMA Federation has lodged a formal appeal** against the decision.

The IMMAF World Championships are the top event in amateur mixed martial arts, the level below professional promotions such as the UFC. A world medal for a Pakistani woman at this level is rare, and Maliha got there by beating a two-time European champion on the way.

## Maliha Ali's road to the bronze

1. **Round of 16, Tuesday 3 November:** beat Russia's **Veronika Drozdova**, a two-time European champion, by split decision. [Our report on that fight](/news/mma/maliha-ali-beats-russias-drozdova-at-immaf-world-championships-meets-mexico-in).
2. **Quarter-final, Wednesday 4 November:** beat **Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar** of Mexico by unanimous decision.
3. **Semi-final, Thursday 5 November:** lost to **Polina Baldina**, 23, by split decision. Baldina is a former world champion in another MMA federation (Khanty-Mansiysk, 2024) and had won three bouts on her way to the final.

## Three judges, three different cards

Dawn's reporter at the cage described a close fight in which neither fighter clearly won a round, with Maliha landing the cleaner shots in the third. The judges saw it very differently:

| Judge | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30-27 | Baldina (all three rounds) |
| 2 | 29-28 | Maliha |
| 3 | 29-28 | Baldina |

## Pakistan's appeal

The federation has written to the head of IMMAF's Refereeing and Judging Commission asking for:

- a **round-by-round breakdown** of the scoring,
- an **explanation of why the three cards differ** so widely, and
- a **face-to-face technical review** of the fight.

Federation president **Omar Ahmed** pointed out in the letter that Pakistan also lost a semi-final on a split decision at last year's championships, and said that when "different explanations are provided for similar judging situations", federations struggle to know what standard their athletes are judged by. He also told Dawn that Pakistan had no officials on the judging panel, while Russia brought two fighters per weight class backed by national sponsors. IMMAF had not responded publicly to the appeal in the reports we have seen. A bronze medal stands unless the result is changed on review.

## Manesha Ali out in the quarter-finals

Maliha's twin sister **Manesha Ali**, who won gold at the IMMAF World Cup in Luanda, Angola, earlier this year, lost a narrow split decision to Poland's **Martyna Caruk** in the lightweight (70.3kg) quarter-final on Wednesday.

## Who Maliha Ali is

Maliha, 24, is from **Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan**. A wushu champion and national kickboxing gold medallist, she won silver at the IMMAF World Cup in Luanda this year before this world medal. The federation ran a six-week camp with an international grappling coach before Tbilisi, paid for with very little official money: Ahmed has called Pakistan's "the most underfunded" federation at the event.

For professional fights in Pakistan time, see our [UFC schedule in Pakistan time](/news/mma/ufc-schedule-pakistan-time).

## Frequently asked questions

**What medal did Maliha Ali win at the IMMAF World Championships 2026?**

Bronze in the featherweight (65.8kg) division in Tbilisi, after a split-decision semi-final loss to Russia's Polina Baldina on 5 November 2026.

**Why did Pakistan appeal Maliha Ali's semi-final?**

The three judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Baldina and 29-28 for Maliha. The Pakistan MMA Federation asked IMMAF for a round-by-round breakdown and a technical review.

## Sources

- Maliha Ali takes bronze at MMA worlds as Pakistan appeals semi-final decision (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2042574/maliha-ali-takes-bronze-at-mma-worlds-as-pakistan-appeals-semi-final-decision
- Pakistan's Maliha Ali topples Russia's Drozdova at MMA world championships (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2042024/pakistans-maliha-ali-topples-russias-drozdova-at-mma-world-championships

How to cite: "Maliha Ali wins bronze at IMMAF worlds; Pakistan appeals split-decision semi-final loss", Searchable, 6 Nov 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/mma/maliha-ali-wins-bronze-at-immaf-worlds-pakistan-appeals-split-decision-semi