Lahore: In a thrilling semi-final at the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Asian Championship, Pakistan’s Bano Butt defeated India’s Khushboo Nishad to secure her place in the final.

Competing in the women’s 47.6 kg category, Bano’s victory marks a significant achievement for Pakistan in the tournament. Following her win, Bano Butt expressed her satisfaction with the outcome despite acknowledging the challenges of competing against a senior opponent. “I worked hard for this event,” she said. “My coach asked if I could compete with seniors, and I accepted the challenge to test myself, even though my category is junior.” Bano highlighted the tough nature of the match, emphasising that while her Indian opponent was like an older sister, “friendship ends in the ring.” She added that although her performance wasn’t as strong as she hoped, she remains determined to win the gold medal for Pakistan in the final. Meanwhile, in the junior welterweight 77.1 kg category, Pakistani fighter Taimoor Chishti faced defeat against Bahrain’s Ali Marhoon, who knocked him out in the first round.