Jordanian Lina Fayyad punched and kicked hard in an MMA cage in an attempt to break the stereotypical image of an Arab girl, from the very beginning of her career, which ended with Arab and international titles in fighting games, until her desire to fulfill her dream of achieving the famous UFC championship.

With her long hair and curly muscles, Fayyad, 33, tells AFP passionately: “Whoever sets a goal, nothing will stop him from achieving it. FC.

Although the participation in combat sports by women is unacceptable in some conservative Arab societies, Fayyad continued: “There were many obstacles in my path: injuries, criticism, I was expelled from sports clubs because I was a girl, and men refused to train with me. .At first I was annoyed, but now I don’t care.

Inspired by her father, a boxer, Fayyad entered the world of martial arts at the age of ten. From the age of twelve, she was engaged in taekwondo, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. “She won three kickboxing golds in the Arab championships. , world gold in Thai boxing and silver in the Arab Championships. I switched to MMA in 2017, and so far I had three fights, winning twice. I lost the last fight by referee decision, and this motivated me to compensate.

– mental stimulus –

A girl wearing a Jordanian al-Nashami T-shirt continued, “If I listen to criticism and become a housewife, I won’t be happy. I want to take advantage of the benefits God has given me to achieve more.”

In addition to her sporting accomplishments, Fayyad addresses the community: “I am the only woman who does MMA in Jordan. I get nice comments from women and they are very motivated when they see me. I feel some responsibility because I want to prove that Arab girls are capable of achieving their goals and I will go to great lengths to prove that they have that ability.”

Why did Fayyad choose to take up a sport that some call cruel and bloody? “Some people do this sport to earn money, fame, but I love the adrenaline that comes from competing in a cage. I like the discipline and intensity of the exercises, which give motivation not only physically, but also mentally.”

In addition to the benefits of this sport and its increased self-confidence, athletes are looking for a source of livelihood if they do not reach the first ranks in the world: “It takes more than ten fights to start making money and getting contracts. .You must be patient. This sport takes up all your time, you train six to seven hours a day, and your diet and sleep become hostage to it. Then you have to fight and get paid in return.”

– ferocious beast –

Although the sport has gained a lot of popularity in Jordan, and in an attempt to develop her career and gain additional experience, Fayyad has made the short journey across the Mediterranean to the island of Cyprus, where she trains and directs martial exercises in the gyms. “I like it. the country loves it. I participate in sports camps and train as usual.”

In the capital, Nicosia, she is training with a Cypriot trainer and preparing for a possible fight in June in the beach town of Limassol in case she recovers from a recent injury.

Despite breaking both legs, Fayyad returned to the exercises, enduring pain, in search of a gradual climb to the top.

And he doesn’t even think about quitting martial arts even after he leaves MMA: “I will stop when I get old. I will switch to another sport that suits my age and start doing jiu-jitsu.”

Fayyad likes her nickname “Fierce Beast”.