By Loke Lamhauge Barrett.
Sixteen fighters entered the Airtox Fear Nothing Tournament with hopes of reaching the final. Now only two remain, as Rida “Al Iraqi” Jawad and Nahid Kartal meet in an amateur lightweight bout for the coveted 50,000 DKK grand prize. While Jawad was widely expected to make a deep run in the tournament, Kartal has emerged as one of its biggest surprises.
Jawad enters the final as one of the most accomplished fighters on the Scandinavian amateur MMA scene, amassing an impressive 10-2 record. Representing Arte Suave in Copenhagen, Denmark – long regarded as one of the country’s strongest camps – he has built a reputation through his aggressive style and finishing ability. Long and rangy for the weight, he uses his frame well on the feet, where his speed, accuracy, and variety of weapons make him difficult to deal with. Still, it has often been his grappling that has separated him from the field.
Whether attacking or seemingly on the back foot, Jawad is a constant threat – with a particular knack for finding the neck. Once he latches onto a guillotine, opponents rarely escape. His debut at Airtox Dominance FC remains among his most memorable performances, submitting the now-professional Asad Temor with a ninja choke in just 26 seconds. In his semifinal victory, he needed little more than a minute and a half to finish highly touted Habibul Dombaev. Jawad’s aggression and killer instinct have also made him a consistent favorite with the judges when fights go the distance.
Kartal, meanwhile, has rebuilt momentum after a difficult start to his amateur career. Training out of Frontline Academy in Oslo, Norway – home to multiple Scandinavian stars – the physically imposing lightweight usually has UFC veteran Jack Hermansson in his corner. Though Kartal lost his first two fights, he showed promise in his Airtox Dominance debut, pushing Emil Shahriari hard, before reeling off four consecutive wins to punch his ticket to the tournament final. Fighting at a relentless pace, he rarely shies away from grueling exchanges, where his pressure and tenacity tend to take over.
While Kartal has spent time sharpening his striking at elite Muay Thai gyms in Thailand, his clearest strength lies in wrestling. Once he settles into dominant positions, he usually sticks to opponents like glue, prioritizing positional control while steadily threatening submissions of his own. His semifinal performance against Josef Dostal may have been his most impressive to date, as he largely dictated the pace and shut down the Czech on the ground.
On paper, this matchup presents a fascinating clash of styles. Jawad appears to hold advantages in range, speed, and finishing instincts, while Kartal offers the kind of pace, physicality, and positional control that has previously caused problems for him. The key question seems to be whether Kartal can implement his grappling without exposing himself in transition. Even from the bottom position, Jawad’s long frame allows him to attack necks, throw up triangles, and threaten armbars, making prolonged exchanges on the mat a risky proposition for anyone.