Nadia Kassem Bio: Mixed Martial Arts, Family & career

“The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.” Martial arts have to be on the list of one of the most challenging sports.

It is violent and leads to real injuries. Nadia Kassem, a mixed martial artist, seems to cherish the sweet victory after a hard battle.

Nadia Kassem was associated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). UFC is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion company. It is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

Nadia Kassem fought in the flyweight division in the UFC. The mixed martial arts consist of several classes based on the fighter’s weight.

The flyweight division comprises fighters weighing between 116 and 125 lb.

Now, we will be talking about Nadia Kassem’s personal and professional life.

Quick Facts About Nadia Kassem

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Nadia Kassem: Early life and family

Nadia Kassem was born on November 15, 1995, in Wentworthville, Australia. However, the information regarding her parents is not available.

Nadia’s family is originally from Lebanon. Her grandparents emigrated from Lebanon to Australia in the 1970s. Hence, Nadia Kassem is a 3rd generation Australian from her family.

Nadia’s Lebanese Muslim grandparents raised her. Her grandfather, Rafic Ibrahim, died in July 2020 at the age of 28. He was the father figure in Nadia Kassem’s life.

Nadia Kassem has a brother, Daniel Kassem. Nadia and her brother shared an incredible bond with their grandfather.

Moreover, they are often seen posting their grandfather’s picture with gratitude remarks on Instagram.

In her interview with Fight News Australia, Nadia Kassem said she was exposed to domestic violence early. Further, she had to portray the role of second-mother to her younger brother.

Similarly, Nadia believes that her conflict-ridden household prepared her for the opportunity that other people of her age may not be ready to face.

Further, Nadia Kassem is close to her Australia-based extended family. In fact, she posts pictures hanging out with them very often.

Nadia receives the utmost support for her MMA career from her mother. On the contrary, her father is not in her favor.

He opposes and dislikes her decision to indulge in such crude and brutal sport. However, she is not affected by his denial.

Nadia was trained in Taekwondo when she was young. Her association with Taekwondo must have built the foundation for her MMA career. She also played rugby and softball.

Nadia Kassem’s brother (Daniel Kassem)

Nadia is not the only person associated with mixed martial arts in her family. Nadia’s younger brother, Daniel Kassem, is also an MMA fighter.

Moreover, he is affiliated with the Australian Top Team like his sister, Nadia.

He competes in the featherweight division of UFC. In fact, he was the one to influence, motivate, and drag Nadia into the world of mixed martial arts.

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Nadia Kassem – Australian Top Team (ATT)

Nadia joined ATT at the end of 2014. Since then, she was trained within ATT.

Nadia regards ATT as a family. She further calls her fellow trainees as well-wishers. She firmly believes that ATT does not run for the money. It instead thrives on making a young fighter’s ambitions come true.

Even though she indulged in other sports, nothing felt so dear to her. Nadia, in her interview with Fight News Australia, mentioned that when she walked into the gym at ATT, she knew she found her calling”.

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Nadia Kassem – Mixed Martial Arts Career

Background

Nadia Kassem first developed an interest in MMA by watching The Ultimate Fighter 18, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate.

It is an American reality television series and MMA competition produced by FOX Sports.

Further, her brother’s indulgence in MMA tournaments enabled her to consider a career in MMA. She then joined MMA training.  

Nadia began her career in amateur MMA. Later, she scored 4-0 in an MMA fight. Thereupon, Nadia Kassem got signed by UFC.

MMA prior to UFC

The Australia-born MMA fighter started her MMA career in her home country. She first fought in the Australian circuit under Urban Fight Night (UFN). UFN is an MMA promotion company based in Sydney.

She then got associated with Australia Regional Promotion. In fact, her record in Australia Regional Promotion brought her offers from big MMA companies, including the UFC.  

Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC)

Nadia Kassem fought thrice in the UFC Octagon between 2017 and 2019. Her UFC record stands at 5-2.

She received her first colossal opportunity to compete within UFC on June 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt in Auckland, New Zealand. She had to fight against JJ Aldrich.

However, Nadia could not make it to the tournament because of an injury. She got removed from the card. The South Korean MMA fighter Chan-Mi Jeon replaced Nadia Kassem in that tournament.

Accordingly, Nadia Kassem’s debut was scheduled for November 19, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura in Sydney, Australia.

She had to fight against Alex Chambers this time. Kassem defeated her opponent and received victory through a unanimous decision.

Likewise, Nadia Kassem was scheduled to compete against Xiaonan Yan on June 13, 2018, at UFC Fight Night. She could not make it to the tournament owing to an injury again. 

Nadia Kassem started her UFC journey with a triumph. Nevertheless, she lost a few tournaments subsequently after the debut.

Nadia faced Montana De Le Rosa on February 10, 2019, at UFC 234. However, she lost the fight in the 2nd round.

Similarly, Kassem fought against South Korean MMA fighter Ji Yeon Kim on October 6, 2018, at UFC 243. She lost the tournament.

The UFC terminated Nadia Kassem in October 2020.

You can watch Nadia Kassem’s UFC career statistics on ESPN’s website.

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Controversies within UFC

Kassem’s South Korean opponent Ji Yeon Kim was charged with a 30% fine of her personal money for being overweight.

Kassem received the set amount. Ji Yeon Kin weighed 128 lb., 2 additional lbs. than the requirement for flyweight division.

Moreover, Nadia Kassem tried to take a cheap shot by faking a glove touch at the beginning of the feud with Ji Yeon Kim.

She was heavily criticized for the move. Regardless, Nadia lost the competition.

Similarly, Nadia Kassem was also charged with a 30% fine of her personal capital in her UFC debut. She weighed 10 lb., 4 lb. above the requirement of strawweight division.

You can watch Nadia Kassem’s career statistics on the website of UFC stats.

Nadia Kassem – Further affairs

Nadia is bold, beautiful, and confident. She aims to make it big in MMA female fights. She is always prepared for whatever it takes to achieve her objectives and dreams.

Nadia, in her interview with Fight News Australia, says, “Anytime I’ve ever done anything big in my life, I haven’t been ready for it.

Life is about how you adjust to things that come your way. My life has been a series of adjustments.

Fighting for the UFC will be another one. There is no way to ever really be ready for anything. You’ve just got to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way”.

You can visit the website of Fight News Australia to see Nadia Kassem’s interview.

Kassem is often recognized as 187. Her nickname/moniker ‘187’ is the police code for murder in the United States. Nadia has not revealed the intention and story behind her moniker.

Relationships

Nadia Kassem was in a relationship with her coach Suman Mokhtarian.

She believes that his support and encouragement helped her a lot in her initial days. She credits their ability to build a thin line between gym life and personal life for their strong bond back then.

However, the couple seems to have broken up now.

Nadia Kassem – Net worth

The average UFC fighter earns a six-figure salary. The amount varies based on the fighter’s performance, popularity, and victory.

Nadia Kassem’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million.

The Australian MMA fighter lives a decent life with her family.

Visit Nadia Kassem–Wikipedia for her Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) records.

Nadia Kassem – Social Media Presence

Kassem is very active on her social media handles.

Instagram handle (@nadia187kassem)
Twitter handle (@nadia187kassem)

Common Queries About Nadia Kassem

What was the verdict of Nadia Kassem vs. Ji Yeon Kim?

Nadia Kassem lost the UFC tournament against her South Korean opponent Ji Yeon Kim on October 6, 2018.

Further, Ji Yeon Kim was charged with a 30% fine of her purse for being overweight in the flyweight division.

Who was Nadia Kassem’s coach?

Soman Mokhtarian trained Nadia Kassem in the gym at the Australian Top Team (ATT). They used to be very close while training. In fact, they were in a relationship back then.

What happened to the match Nadia Kassem vs. Leigha Aurisch?

During the Urban Fight Night 9 event’s match between Nadia Kassem and Leigha Aurisch, Kassen took over the victory via KO/TKO in the first round.