MMA in Afghanistan? Too violent for the Taliban

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has banned mixed martial arts ( MMA ), saying it is incompatibile with Islamic law.

An established from the Taliban’s activities expert, speaking to local journalist TOLOnews on Tuesday, said that MMA was very violent and posed a risk of death.

The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice passed the buy down by Afghanistan’s conscience officers.

It comes after an investigation into the club’s compliance with Islamic laws, or Sharia.

The Taliban’s General Directorate on Physical Education and Sport stated in a speech sent to the AFP news agency that “it was discovered that the game is dangerous with respect to sharia and it has many features that are incompatible with the teachings of Islam.”

” That’s why this choice has been made”.

In Afghanistan, younger individuals are a fan base for MMA, which has attracted a large following in the two decades leading up to the Taliban’s 2021 resurgent.

The Truly Grand Fighting Championship ( TGFC) and the Afghanistan Fighting Championship ( AFC) both established dozens of fights in 2008, while the Mixed Martial Arts Federation ( MGA ) was established.

Although it does not appear to have been specifically stated in formal laws, MMA has been under intense pressure ever since the Taliban took control.

When the Taliban passed a law prohibiting “face-punching,” events were essentially outlawed in 2021.

According to discussions that were published in MMA papers, some combatants also complained of intimidation and threats from Taliban officials.

However, there were times when the government seemed to loosen their position.

Leading warrior Ahmad Wali Hotak was able to announce an upcoming struggle in Russia at a press event in the capital Kabul in 2022.

On his returning to Afghanistan, he was met by federal characters who posed for photos.

Most companies, however, had longer left the country before this latest news.

The International Olympic Committee has yet to accept MMA, mainly because of safety concerns.

Four of the 11 Afghans who participated in gymnastics at the Paris Games were first-class martial artists and were members of the Refugee Olympic team.