| Aya Saeid Saber | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1991-03-20) 20 March 1991 (age 33) Cairo, Egypt |
| Other names | Sheklesa |
| Residence | Cairo |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Weight | 127 lb (58 kg; 9 st 1 lb) |
| Division | Flyweight (125 lb) |
| Style | Kung Fu; Kickboxing |
| Fighting out of | Cairo |
| Team | Egypt Top Team |
| Trainer | Mohamed Abdel Hameed |
| Years active | 2012–2018 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 11 |
| Wins | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 8 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Aya Saeid Saber (born 20 March 1991), also known as "Sheklesa", is a mixed martial artist, who is the first woman from Egypt to compete professionally in the sport.
Saber was born on 20 March 1991.[1] Her interest in martial arts began as a child when she earned a brown beltinkarate in 2000.[2] From there she joined the Egyptian National Kung Fu team, winning competitions with them.[2] She then met Mohamed Abdel Hameed, a coach who introduced MMA to Egypt and established the Top Team - Egypt's MMA squad.[2][3] Saber is the only woman in the team and is also the first woman from Egypt to compete in the sport.[2] She coaches a new generation of women to become mixed martial artists; ultimately she intends to establish Egypt's first all-female MMA team.[2] She recognises that in Egypt, where in 2013 over 99% of women had experienced sexual harassment, it is important for women to develop the skills in order to physically defend themselves from men.[2]
Saber made her professional MMA debut on 7 October 2012 in the Egyptian Fighting Championship (EFC), defeating Fatma Mansour.[4] After appearing in two Superfight League matches, she returned to the EFC, losing against Yousra Ahmed on 3 May 2013.[5] In March 2014 she beat Aya Rashdan in the EFC.[6]
In 2012 she next fought Colleen SchneideratSFL 6, which Schneider won after stopping Saber from elbow strikes in the first round.[7] Saber's next match was against Ritika SinghatSF 11, which Singh won.[8]
Saber fought Ana Julaton on 2 May 2014, where the boxer made her ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Heroes debut. Julaton's fight debut was successful and she won the fight via TKO in the third round, despite commentators in advance expecting Saber to take the fight.[6][9] On 17 October 2014 she took on Malaysian Muslim fighter Ann Osman at Stadium Putra, watched by 10,000 fans.[10] Osman beat Saber in the first round.[10]
In 2015, she returned to the One Championship and was defeated by Angela Lee in Round 1.[11] This match was Lee's professional debut, although she had previously fought as an amateur and was well known in her home of Hawai'i.[12]
On 27 March 2015, Saber beat Fathia Mostafa in the Evolution Championship with a TKO (punches).[13]
Saber's final fight in 2015 was against Jin Tang in the Kunlun Fight League, where Tang beat her in Round 1.[14]
In 2018 saber fought in the Glory of Heroes promotion, where she was defeated by Meng Bo.[15]
| 11 matches | 3 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 3 |
| By submission | 1 | 4 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3–8 | Meng Bo | Submission (armbar) | Glory of Heroes 35: Meishan | October 12, 2018 | 1 | N/A | Sichuan, China | |
| Loss | 3–7 | Jin Tang | Submission (armbar) | Kunlun Fight 34 | November 21, 2015 | 1 | 1:58 | Shenzhen, China | |
| Loss | 3–6 | Angela Lee | Submission (armbar) | ONE: Warrior's Quest | May 22, 2015 | 1 | 1:43 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 3–5 | Fathia Mostafa | TKO (punches) | Evolution Championship: War Against Terrorism | March 27, 2015 | 1 | 3:00 | Cairo, Egypt | |
| Loss | 2–5 | Ann Osman | TKO (elbows) | ONE FC: Roar of Tigers | October 17, 2014 | 1 | 3:15 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
| Loss | 2–4 | Ana Julaton | TKO (punches) | ONE FC: Rise of Heroes | May 2, 2014 | 3 | 4:01 | Pasay, Philippines | |
| Win | 2–3 | Aya Rashdan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Egyptian Fighting Championship 14 | March 29, 2014 | 1 | 3:10 | Cairo, Egypt | |
| Loss | 1–3 | Yousra Ahmed | Submission (guillotine choke) | Egyptian Fighting Championship 10 | May 3, 2013 | 2 | 2:49 | Cairo, Egypt | |
| Loss | 1–2 | Ritika Singh | Decision (unanimous) | SFL 11 | November 30, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Mumbai, India | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Colleen Schneider | TKO (elbows) | SFL 6 | October 26, 2012 | 1 | 3:55 | Mumbai, India | |
| Win | 1–0 | Fatma Mansour | Decision (unanimous) | Egyptian Fighting Championship 8 | October 7, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Cairo, Egypt |
Saber is married and has a daughter.[2]
