SRINAGAR, Aug 3— Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated Kashmiri mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Owais Yaqoob on Monday following his historic victory at BRAVE CF 107 in Bulgaria, where he defeated an unbeaten two-time IMMAF World Champion.

In an official statement shared on X, the Chief Minister’s office called the triumph a proud moment for Jammu & Kashmir and the nation, wishing the young fighter continued success on the global stage.

Yaqoob recorded the major international win on August 1 at the Burgas Arena in Bulgaria, stopping local favourite Delyan Georgiev via a first-round technical knockout (TKO) four minutes into the opening round. Georgiev entered the bout with an undefeated record and two International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Amateur World Championship titles to his name.

Hailing from Murran village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Yaqoob delivered a clinical striking display to earn one of the biggest victories of his professional career on a major global MMA platform.

Dedicated to his supporters back home, Yaqoob expressed his gratitude following the match. "This victory means everything to me. I stepped into the cage carrying the hopes of my family, my people in Jammu and Kashmir, and the entire country," Yaqoob said. "Defeating an unbeaten world champion is a dream achievement, but this is only the beginning. I will continue to work harder while proudly representing India on the global stage."