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Here’s every fighter from Team Sweden ahead of IMMAF world championships
The Swedish National Team has 14 fighters competing in Serbia. Photo via IMMAF
The 2022 IMMAF World Championships will take place in Belgrade, Serbia, between February 11 and February 17.
Around 520 athletes from 62 countries are expected to compete in the tournament, making it the largest event in IMMAF’s history.
The senior competition features six weight divisions for female athletes, spanning from atomweight Atomweight to lightweight, while male athletes compete in ten weight classes, spanning from strawweight to super heavyweight.
All six days of competition will be streamed on IMMAF.TV, for fans all over the world.
The Swedish National MMA Team
As usual, Sweden sends a talented squad to the IMMAF championships, featuring both promising juniors and seasoned seniors.
The Swedish National Team consists of 14 fighters – five female and nine male – competing in twelve weight divisions.
The team is led by national team captain, and UFC veteran, Besam Yousef, who’s flanked by assisting national team captain Jörgen Hamberg.
Click “Next” to learn more about the Swedish squad!
Astrid Vikgren, strawweight, 52 kilo (junior)
Astrid Vikgren. Photo: IMMAF
Grappler Astrid Vikgren makes her last year as a junior before it’s time to move on to the senior level.
In last year’s IMMAF European Championships, the strawweight made it to the finals, where she won a silver medal after falling short in a razor thin split decision.
Hanna Palmqvist, flyweight, 57 kilo (senior)
Hanna Palmquist. Photo via IMMAF
The tough Hanna Palmqvist won bronze at the IMMAF European Championships a few months back, showing both heart and skills during the fight week.
Ellen Karlsson, 61, bantamweight kilo (senior)
Photo by Patrik Persson/Wolf Fight Promotion
Stockholm bantamweight Ellen Karlsson makes her international MMA debut in Serbia.
The skilled boxer has a silver medal from the Swedish Boxing Championships, and made her amateur MMA debut this past December.
Emma Schiöler, featherweight, 66 kilo (senior)
Emma Schiöler. Photo via Instagram (@emma.shi)
The 2022 IMMAF World Championships will mark the international debut for featherweight Emma Schiöler.
Yrsa Sandin, lightweight, 70 kilo (senior)
Yrsa Sandin. Photo: Stefan Romare
Stockholm’s Yrsa Sandin is quite a veteran in the Swedish National Team, with a European Championship gold and a World Cup gold.
Arsen Tughanov, flyweight, 57 kilo (senior)
Arsen Tughanov. Photo via IMMAF
Flyweight Arsen Tuganov will once again represent the Swedish National Team after his debut in 2022.
In last year’s European Championships, Tuganov made it to the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Ali Al Jasim, bantamweight, 61 kilo (senior)
Ali Al Jasi. Photo via YouTube (FCR)
Ali Al Jasim competed as a featherweight at Fight Club Rush 11, but will fight as a bantamweight representing Sweden in the World Championships.
Raham Kafaei, featherweight, 66 kilo (senior)
Raham Kafaei. Photo: Söders Fight Gym
Featherweight Raham Kafaei won the Swedish Championship in amateur B-class and is now ready for the 2022 IMMAF World Championships in Serbia.
Benjamin Hajijan, featherweight, 66 kilo (junior)
Benjamin Hajijan. Photo via Facebook
Junior Benjamin Hajijan returns to action in Serbia as he once again represents the Swedish National Team.
The young featherweight won a Bronze medal in the European Championships last year, and showed both toughness and skills with two wins in the tournament.
Aria Afrasiabi, lightweight, 70 kilo (senior)
Aria Afrasiabi. Photo via IMMAF
Lightweight Aria Afrasiabi competed at the European Championships last year, and is once again back in the National Team.
Robin Kohzadi, lightweight, 70 kilo (junior)
Robin Kohzadi. Photo via IMMAF
Lightweight Robin Kohzadi competed in last year’s European Championships, where he faced tough opposition in the first fight.
Kohzadi also fought at Fight Club Rush 14 in December, where he faced Jaafer Mohammed.
Ratko Tomic, welterweight, 77 kilo (senior)
Ratko Tomic. Photo via IMMAF
Welterweight Ratko Tomic will be back in action in Serbia.
In the European Championships last year, the tough welterweight suffered a bad cut over the left eye in the 16th-finals, leading to the ringside doctor stopping the fight.
Rafael Kveldstad, middleweight, 84 kilo (senior)
Rafael Kveldstad. Photo Patrik Persson
Rafael Kveldstad trains at Stockholm’s Allstars Training Center with the UFC fighters like Guram Kutateladze and Khamzat Chimaev.
The middleweight, who also competed at Fight Club Rush 13, is an interesting addition to the Swedish National Team.
Alfred Olsson, light heavyweight, 93 kilo (senior)
Alfred Olsson (left). Photo via YouTube (Wolf Fight Promotion)
Alfred Olsson from Jönköping will look to make his mark in the tough light heavyweight weight class at the 2022 IMMAF World Championships in Belgrade.
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