UAE fighter Zamzam Al Hammadi is chomping at the bit to get back in the cage.
Zamzam made history in May when she became the first Emirati woman to fight under the Professional Fighters League banner, securing a unanimous victory over Aber Mansour in an amateur bout.
The 18-year-old dominated the first two rounds but tired badly in the third round before being awarded the contest 29-28 on the judges' scorecards to stretch her unbeaten MMA record to 3-0.
Despite the victory, Zamzam admits there are improvements to be made in her game.
"Striking and also my cardio didn’t go well, so more time at the gym," she told The National.
"I need to focus on getting the finish a lot faster; most of my finishes are in the last minute."
Despite her age, Zamzam is already a pioneer for Emirati female fighters.
She has won many titles and competitions in jiu-jitsu, including gold medals in the JJIF World Youth Championship.
She became the first Emirati woman to win gold at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Youth World Championship in 2023. A year later, she won a second gold.
Her goal now, she says, is to turn pro and work her way to a PFL title.
"My goal is to get that belt, for me and my country. Another goal is to just get more experience and get more finishes before I turn pro," she said.
Zamzam does not know when her next bout will be, but said the upgrade between her last performance and her next will be the equivalent of an "iPhone going from Pro to Pro Max".
She also had a message for aspiring young girls wanting to follow in her footsteps.
"I was a young girl with a dream; you are young, go there, find your dream and you will get there. Don’t give up. You will have a lot of barriers and there will be people against it, but after a while they will all support you."
