For more than forty years, Shaker Saberi has dedicated his life to discovering, developing, and promoting fighters who would go on to become some of the most recognized martial artists in Afghanistan, South Asia, and beyond. His legacy is not only defined by the champions he trained, but by the opportunities he created — opportunities that simply did not exist before his work began.
At the center of this legacy stands the Hosharafu Fighting Championship (HFC), one of the very first MMA promotions in South Asia and the first MMA promotion ever established in Afghanistan. At a time when MMA was still unknown in the region, Shaker Saberi introduced the sport, built its foundation, and created a professional platform where Afghan fighters could compete under structured rules for the first time. HFC became the birthplace of Afghan MMA — the stage where raw talent transformed into real fighters, and where the country’s first generation of MMA athletes took their first steps toward international recognition.
Under Shaker Saberi’s leadership, HFC grew into a powerful talent‑development engine. It was the first promotion to give Afghan fighters proper matchmaking, regulated competition, media exposure, and the chance to test themselves against international opponents. For many athletes, HFC was not just an event — it was the moment their careers truly began.
Some of the region’s most successful and internationally recognized fighters trace their roots directly back to Shaker Saberi and HFC. Whether he personally trained them or identified their potential and promoted them onto bigger stages, their first real opportunities came from him. Among these athletes are:
Nasratullah Akhondzada
Rabindra Dhant
Sayed Ajmal Kamal
Justin Kennedy
Ahmad Fawad Aria
Emran Sakhizada
Mohammad Younus Bayat
Rana Rudra Pratap Singh
Baz Mohammad Mubariz
Ahmad Wali Hotak
Abdul Azim Badakhshi
Ahmad Qais Jasoor
Ahmad Sohail Hassanzada
