The anticipated title bout between Aziz Julaidan and the current 66 Kg champ, Abdul Kareem Al Selwady has been removed from Friday’s Desert Force Bahrain fight card due to a yet undisclosed injury suffered by Julaidan which stands obstacle in getting fully prepared to face an always ready Selwady.
However, Desert Force officials have almost immediately provided a perfect replacement opponent. Standing 177 cm, the 21 year old Hussein Salem agreed to fight Selwady on very short notice. Salem (2-0) is part of the national Muay Thai team in Iraq, having won the national tournament three years straight as well as a gold medalist in the Arab Muay Thai Championship. Being instructed by elite Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu coaches (Master Mustapha Jaber and Ali Saher for Muay Thai and Master Raed Jameel for wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu), Salem has 2 wins in Iraq’s premiere MMA promotion ICFC MMA Championship with single submission guillotine choke and a recent TKO victory in ICFC 4 last weekend.
Salem is a well-rounded opponent who can surely be dangerous against Selwady if the fight stays standing. Though being a favorite, Selwady is in for a challenge to face a different opponent than the one he originally studied and prepared for.
Will Salem surprise the audience in his Desert Force debut or will he be dominated by the more experienced, current title holder?
