ISLAMABAD:Raised in the rugged northern regions of Pakistan, Anita Karim’s combat skills were shaped early by her experiences sparring with her three older brothers. These rough-and-tumble days prepared her for her future in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), where she would combine disciplines such as Thai kickboxing, Japanese judo, and wrestling. Today, she stands as the leading female MMA fighter in Pakistan.
“I come from a village that supports women fighters,” she shared with AFP. “But when I started in MMA, there was no awareness of the sport. People thought it was only for men and that women couldn’t participate.”
Despite these doubts, Karim broke barriers and in 2015, she became Pakistan’s first internationally competing female MMA fighter. She soon appeared in Asia’s premier MMA promotion, ONE Championship. Over the years, the negative comments and criticism faded away, she noted, while training at her gym in Islamabad, where she practices in an unheated octagonal cage.
In a country like Pakistan, where women’s participation in sports is often discouraged by conservative families, Karim’s success story stands out. However, her native Gilgit-Baltistan region, where modesty codes for women are less strict, has become a nurturing ground for female athletes. In October, two sisters from the same region, Maliha and Maneesha Ali, won medals at a taekwondo competition in Indonesia.
Her brother Uloomi, who initially trained with her, recognized her potential early on. “When she showed the commitment, we knew she could succeed,” he said, standing by their family-owned gym. “We had no problem with her training with male fighters.”
Known for being shy outside the ring, Karim’s demeanor transforms when she steps into the octagon. Her fighting style is dominated by a powerful armlock, a move she perfected to force opponents into submission. In 2022, after winning a fight, she was nicknamed “the arm collector” due to the number of arm injuries her opponents sustained.
Initially training in taekwondo and jiu-jitsu in her hometown, Karim later discovered MMA in high school in Islamabad, much to the disapproval of her community. “People close to me criticized me, but I kept going,” she said. “Now they see what it’s all about.”
Today, Karim’s achievements are a source of pride for her hometown. “The way she has brought recognition to Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan at the international level is an inspiration,” said Shah Muhammad, the regional sports chief.
After a tough start in 2018, when a referee insisted she raise her leggings before allowing her to fight, Karim moved to Thailand to train professionally. Now, she sustains herself through competition earnings, government grants, and coaching at her Islamabad gym.
