Emirati jiu-jitsu champion Shamma Al Kalbani is about to write her name into the history books — again. The 21-year-old has been selected as the first Emirati female ever to compete at the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC), with ADXC 4 set to take place in Paris on May 18, 2024.
Shamma Al Kalbani Targets ADXC History in Paris
Shamma enters the Paris event riding a wave of momentum. Just days before ADXC 4, she claimed her third consecutive gold medal at the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship, adding to an already remarkable international resume. Far from resting on those achievements, the Abu Dhabi-based athlete immediately turned her focus to the next challenge: competing at the ADXC for the very first time — and doing so on foreign soil.
"I'm really honoured to be the first Emirati female to feature in this exciting ADXC competition," Al Kalbani said ahead of the event.
A Landmark Moment for UAE Jiu-Jitsu
Shamma's participation at ADXC 4 is a landmark for UAE sport. She becomes the first Emirati woman in history to compete in the Championship, which has previously featured only male fighters in its centre-stage cage bouts — both within the UAE and abroad.
ADXC 4 is hosted at the Dojo de Paris, a venue situated a short distance from the Eiffel Tower. The card features seven jiu-jitsu and grappling contests under the ADXC's dynamic cage-based ruleset. Al Kalbani is scheduled to face Lina Grosset — ranked No. 2 in France and a full decade her senior — in her ADXC debut bout.
New Challenge: The Cage Format
Competing at ADXC means adapting to a different format from what Shamma has mastered on the traditional mat. ADXC bouts are contested across three three-minute rounds inside a cage, compared to the single five-minute round of a standard jiu-jitsu match. For Shamma, Paris represents both a cage debut and a historic milestone in one.
How Shamma's Gold Medals Built This Moment
Shamma Al Kalbani's rise to this stage has been built on consistent excellence. Her consecutive Asian Championship golds reflect not only technical skill but also the hours-long daily training sessions that define her preparation. The same discipline helped the UAE claim a top-four finish at the most recent Asian Championship team standings.
Beyond individual medals, Shamma became the first Emirati woman to win a medal at the World Games when she collected bronzes in the 63-kilogram category and the open class at Birmingham, Alabama, in July 2022.
Balancing Sport and Academia at Rabdan University
Despite her sporting commitments, Shamma Al Kalbani is also a full-time undergraduate student of Emergency Management at Rabdan University in Abu Dhabi. Managing elite-level training alongside a demanding academic programme speaks to a determination and discipline that goes well beyond the competition mat.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Emirati Women in Sport
Shamma sees her role as extending far beyond personal achievement. She is committed to championing gender equality in sport and has expressed a desire to mentor junior athletes, helping to build the pipeline of future UAE jiu-jitsu talent. Her example — a young Emirati woman competing at the highest international level while completing a university degree — is precisely the model she hopes to pass on.
Shamma Al Kalbani's journey to ADXC 4 in Paris is a story of fortitude, resilience, and relentless ambition. As the first Emirati female on the ADXC stage, she carries with her the hopes of a new generation of UAE athletes.
