Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady lives the holiday spirit
Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady: “Indeed every athlete has a commitment towards the society. This overwhelmingly motivates me to pursue my efforts.”
Brave Combat Federation lightweight Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady, who trains at Fortis MMA in Dallas, had been in news for the positive influence an athlete can create in the society. Abdul Kareem took up the challenge of transforming the life of six-year-old Rayyan. Rayyan is a student of Abdul’s at Fortis MMA. Rayyan was born with a rare condition and underwent painful surgery when she was only 14 months old. She was diagnosed with autism. She was a victim of bullying and suffered from anxiety disorders when Abdul-Kareem stepped in and made the difference. Rayyan was introduced to mixed martial arts training which gradually made her confident and assertive.
The atmosphere of the gym helped her to develop skills to socialize and interact efficiently. Currently, Rayyan excels in academics and have a healthy and supportive social circle. The 22-year-old Abdul-Kareem competed at Brave 9: The Kingdom of Champions hosted in Bahrain and emerged victorious against Erick da Silva. Erick Carlos Silva, with a 21-5-0, had competed on the 4th season of The Ultimate Fighter and had a six-fight winning streak. After defeating Erick da Silva, Abdul now rides a four-fight winning streak and improved his record to 8-1. On his return to Texas, he was greeted by his confident student who is also his biggest fan.
Rayyan greeted Abdul-Kareem with the newspaper clipping of their story published in leading newspapers across the Middle East.
“I am overwhelmed by the positive power and influence that athletes hold,” responded Al-Selwady. “Indeed every athlete has a commitment towards the society. This overwhelmingly motivates me to pursue my efforts in devoting my time towards the society. At 22 years, I am fortunate to explore this dimension in me which makes my life as an athlete purposeful. This keeps on growing with each fight and each victory. Knowing that there are people who look up to you gives you the motivation to push the limits and fight harder. This is integral in the overall development of an athlete.”
Previously Abdul Kareem was in news for his initiative to help Hurricane Harvey survivors. Abdul and his team at Fortis MMA was actively involved in aiding those who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. Apart from being involved in supporting the suvivors, his team also provided facilities for fighters from Houston that have found themselves without a gym to train for upcoming fights. They were invited to train at Dallas alongside his team.