The Bantamweight division known to be one of the thinnest and least publicized divisions in Mixed Martial Arts, made a remarkable spark within the region after Desert Force Al Academiya Season two featured a title shield. Two bantamweight finalists stepped into the cage, with eyes on the trophy, only one took it with ease.
Meet George Bardawil, the man who bombards opponents with all sorts of spontaneous spinning techniques and uses any available opportunity to submit an adversary in a blink of an eye. A product of Lebanon’s Tristar Gym/ Wissam Abi Nader, teammate of the infamously skilled badass, bronze medalist of the IMMAF World Amateur MMA Championship, Joshua Mortada and Imad Hoayek. Bardawil faced Lebanon’s Phillipe Massoud in Al Academiya Season two Bantamweight Finale where he stylishly emerged victorious. This marked Bardawil’s first professional win, which then pushed him into the cage with Black House MMA’s Ahmed Makki in KSA who he bloodied and caught in a vicious up kick ending the fight via TKO in the third round. Since that match in March 2015, Bardawil has been off the radar until now.
January Sunday 10, 2016, social media saw posts from Bardawil stating he was set to go for a training camp in Thailand. This announcement gave many fans a boost in excitement as this could mean the return of this much liked, dedicated fighter. He has since been spotted across social media posing with his relatively new teammate of amateur status, Elie Zgheib, in Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket. This favorite training camp to many, currently calls itself the home to not only these two but also to multiple fighters getting ready for Desert Force 20, to take place on the 25th in the UAE. Jarra Alselawi, Tareq Hamdi and Ezzedine Alderabane of Jordan’s Team Altaamari are three names on the upcoming fight card also upping their game for their Desert Force match ups as they spend time training in Thailand.
On the fight card, Nawras Abzakh is the one nominee in Bantamweight division that could possibly collide with Bardawil for the first ever Desert Force Bantamweight title. A win for Abzakh in his upcoming fight could very well lead to the match of the known rivals – Lebanon’s Bardawil vs Jordan’s Abzakh.
Given that this is only a speculation, it can be said that many would love to see these two entertaining and talented fighters of the region go head to head and make history as the first divisional champions.
