Aya Saeid Saber (Arabic: آية سعيد صابر; born 20 March 1991), also known as "Sheklesa", is a mixed martial artist, who is the first woman from Egypt to compete professionally in the sport.
Biography
Saber was born on 20 March 1991.[1] Her interest in martial arts began as a child when she earned a brown belt in karate in 2000.[2] From there she joined the Egyptian National Kung Fu team, winning competitions with them.[2] She then met Mohamed Abdel Hameed, a coach who introduced MMA to Egypt and established the Top Team - Egypt's MMA squad.[2][3] Saber is the only woman in the team and is also the first woman from Egypt to compete in the sport.[2] She coaches a new generation of women to become mixed martial artists; ultimately she intends to establish Egypt's first all-female MMA team.[2] She recognises that in Egypt, where in 2013 over 99% of women had experienced sexual harassment, it is important for women to develop the skills in order to physically defend themselves from men.[2]
Mixed martial arts career
Egyptian Fighting Championship
Saber made her professional MMA debut on 7 October 2012 in the Egyptian Fighting Championship (EFC), defeating Fatma Mansour.[4] After appearing in two Superfight League matches, she returned to the EFC, losing against Yousra Ahmed on 3 May 2013.[5] In March 2014 she beat Aya Rashdan in the EFC.[6]
Super Fight League
In 2012 she next fought Colleen Schneider at SFL 6, which Schneider won after stopping Saber from elbow strikes in the first round.[7] Saber's next match was against Ritika Singh at SF 11, which Singh won.[8]
One Championship
Saber fought Ana Julaton on 2 May 2014, where the boxer made her ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Heroes debut. Julaton's fight debut was successful and she won the fight via TKO in the third round, despite commentators in advance expecting Saber to take the fight.[6][9] On 17 October 2014 she took on Malaysian Muslim fighter Ann Osman at Stadium Putra, watched by 10,000 fans.[10] Osman beat Saber in the first round.[10]
In 2015, she returned to the One Championship and was defeated by Angela Lee in Round 1.[11] This match was Lee's professional debut, although she had previously fought as an amateur and was well known in her home of Hawai'i.[12]
Evolution Championship
On 27 March 2015, Saber beat Fathia Mostafa in the Evolution Championship with a TKO (punches).[13]
Kunlun Fight
Saber's final fight in 2015 was against Jin Tang in the Kunlun Fight League, where Tang beat her in Round 1.[14]
Glory of Heroes
In 2018 saber fought in the Glory of Heroes promotion, where she was defeated by Meng Bo.[15]
Mixed martial arts record
| 11 matches | 3 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 3 |
| By submission | 1 | 4 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3–8 | Meng Bo | Submission (armbar) | Glory of Heroes 35: Meishan | October 12, 2018 | 1 | N/A | Sichuan, China | |
| Loss | 3–7 | Jin Tang | Submission (armbar) | Kunlun Fight 34 | November 21, 2015 | 1 | 1:58 | Shenzhen, China | |
| Loss | 3–6 | Angela Lee | Submission (armbar) | ONE: Warrior's Quest | May 22, 2015 | 1 | 1:43 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 3–5 | Fathia Mostafa | TKO (punches) | Evolution Championship: War Against Terrorism | March 27, 2015 | 1 | 3:00 | Cairo, Egypt | |
| Loss | 2–5 | Ann Osman | TKO (elbows) | ONE FC: Roar of Tigers | October 17, 2014 | 1 | 3:15 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
| Loss | 2–4 | Ana Julaton | TKO (punches) | ONE FC: Rise of Heroes | May 2, 2014 | 3 | 4:01 | Pasay, Philippines | |
| Win | 2–3 | Aya Rashdan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Egyptian Fighting Championship 14 | March 29, 2014 | 1 | 3:10 | Cairo, Egypt | |
| Loss | 1–3 | Yousra Ahmed | Submission (guillotine choke) | Egyptian Fighting Championship 10 | May 3, 2013 | 2 | 2:49 | Cairo, Egypt | |
| Loss | 1–2 | Ritika Singh | Decision (unanimous) | SFL 11 | November 30, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Mumbai, India | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Colleen Schneider | TKO (elbows) | SFL 6 | October 26, 2012 | 1 | 3:55 | Mumbai, India | |
| Win | 1–0 | Fatma Mansour | Decision (unanimous) | Egyptian Fighting Championship 8 | October 7, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Cairo, Egypt |
Personal life
Saber is married and has a daughter.[2]
References
- ^ "Aya Saied Saber ("Shekisa") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Farouk, Menna A. (10 January 2021). "Egypt's first MMA fighter blazes trail for more women". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "Sherdog.com: UFC, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) News, Results, Fighting". Sherdog. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "Aya Saeid Saber vs Fatma Mansour Fight Result EFC - Egyptian Fighti..." www.mma-core.com. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Yousra Ahmed". MMA-Core. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Aya Saeid Saber to provide tough test for Julaton's MMA debut". Dojo Drifter. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "SFL 6 Colleen Schneider vs Aya Saeid Saber". Fighter Girls®. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Ritika Singh vs Aya Saeid Saber Fight Result SFL 11 - Super Fight L..." www.mma-core.com. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ Larano, Cris (3 May 2014). "Filipina Fighters Punch Their Way to Victories in MMA Debut". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Women Warrior: Female MMA Fighter Leads by Example". Time. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Fight Odds | MMA Betting Odds, News and Analysis". fightodds.io. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "The 5 Most Memorable Bouts Of Angela Lee's Career". Evolve MMA Singapore. 12 October 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Aya Saeid : Official MMA Fight Record (1-2-0) : The Underground". www.mixedmartialarts.com. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Jin Tang | MMA | Awakening Fighters". awakeningfighters.com. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Bo Meng | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
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