Abdul Azim Badakhshi will be fighting for the featherweight title at Matrix Fight Night 14. The Afghan spent much of 2023 behind bars but made a triumphant return to the cage last October.
At Matrix Fight Night 13 he beat Hae Jin Park in 13 seconds. A few months earlier Badakhshi has been incarcerated after allegedly assaulting Srikant Sekhar at an event in 2022.
As a result of his incarceration Badakhshi missed the opportunity to compete on a Road to UFC card. His career is now back on track and he will be looking to win the first title of his career on March 9th.
Badakhshi (14-3) has three wins out of three for Matrix Fight Night. Afghan fighters were banned by the promotion after the incident involving him and Sekhar but that has since been rescinded.
Budhwar (10-2) has also won his last four. He is the only fighter to ever hold the Matrix Fight Night featherweight belt and will be defending it for the second time.
View this post on Instagram
Best of the rest
There will be two titles on the line at Matrix Fight Night 14. Mohammad Farhad (12-5) will be making his promotional debut when he takes on Chungreng Koren (4-1) in a fight for the interim bantamweight belt
Reigning bantamweight champion Uloomi Karim has not fought since winning the belt at Matrix Fight Night 10 in 2022. In his absence the promotion has introduced an interim belt.
Matrix Fight Night 14, Noida, March 9th
Abdul Azim Badakhshi vs. Sanjeet Budhwar (For featherweight title)
Mohammad Farhad vs. Chungreng Koren (For interim bantamweight title)
Dushyant vs. Mairidin Newmai (Bantamweight)
Owais Sarwar Ahenger vs. Digamber Singh Rawat (Lightweight)
Sk Akib Ali vs. Neeraj Panghal (Lightweight)
Mohammad Azim Mokhlis vs. Owais Yaqoob (Lightweight)
Zahoor Shah Amar Khil vs. Rahul Thapa (Featherweight)
Sahil Rana vs. Chris Tibenda (Bantwamweight)
Kapil vs. Ajay Kant Payal (Bantamweight)
Pravin Wagh vs. Balveer Singh Tomar (Bantamweight)
Ishika Thite vs. Tenzin Pema (Atomweight)
Arsenba Ozukum vs. Aminder Bisht (Flyweight)
