In a stunning debut at the PFL event in Dubai, Manchester’s Haider Khan made an immediate impact with a devastating kick that resulted in a first-round victory over Mostafa Rashed Nada.
The 25-year-old prospect, who entered the bout with an impressive 8-1 record, showcased his striking prowess early in the match. Khan controlled the center of the Smart Cage, utilizing front kicks to the mid-section and teeps to the legs to keep his Saudi Arabian opponent at bay.
With just under two minutes remaining in what appeared to be a feeling-out process, Khan delivered a powerful back leg kick to Nada’s torso. As Nada attempted to block with his lead arm, the impact resulted in a complete break of his forearm, leading to an immediate stoppage.
“There it is, there’s a bend in the forearm where there’s not supposed to be for Mostafa Nada,” commentator Sean O’Connell observed, while Dan Hardy added, “That’s a fully broken arm. That is a full broken arm, my goodness. What a kick that was. It went straight through his forearm as he did that front kick snap up the centre.”
Hardy further analyzed the replay, noting, “There it is. It’s like a down block – he tried to down block it. But you can see how he’s holding his wrist straight away. He feels that instability. One of the bones at least in his forearm has broken. Both of them! Man, look at that.”
Khan, who improved his record to 9-1 with the TKO victory, showed immediate concern for his opponent after the celebration. The rising star’s path to MMA success is particularly interesting, having previously pursued a career in rugby league at the semi-professional level.
“So basically, I grew up playing rugby since I was five,” Khan revealed before his PFL debut. “When I hit about 18/19, I really didn’t like playing rugby anymore. I never really did love it to be honest, I think I was just very good at it. And then, I just decided I’m going to give MMA a go and I fell in love with it as soon as I touched the mats and I never looked back after that.”
