Pakistan’s reigning lightweight king, Shahzaib Rind, is gearing up for one of the most talked‑about fights of 2026, as he prepares to defend his Karate Combat Lightweight World Championship against Israeli contender Natan Levy.
Karate Combat confirmed the matchup on its social media platforms, announcing that Rind and Levy will clash for the belt.
The promotion has not yet revealed the exact date or venue, but the pairing has already sparked intense interest because of both its sporting stakes and its political backdrop.
The 27‑year‑old champion has earned his reputation the hard way. On January 25, 2025, at Karate Combat 52 in Miami, he dominated former three‑time world champion Edgars Skrivers, winning 7–0 on the scorecards to secure his second stint as lightweight titleholder.
Before that, at Karate Combat 44 in Mexico City, Shahzaib Rind delivered one of the promotion’s quickest and most spectacular finishes, knocking out Peru’s Marco Cubas in just 21 seconds with a flying knee, a high kick, and unanswered ground strikes.
His most recent defense came on July 19, 2025, again in Miami at Karate Combat 56, where he stopped Brazilian fighter Luiz Rocha via TKO at 2:57 of the fourth round.
Raised in Balochistan, he started martial arts at nine and refined much of his game by copying techniques from YouTube. Away from Karate Combat, he has compiled a combined Wushu and kickboxing record of 75–4 and captured six national titles.
His global breakthrough came at KC‑49 in Singapore on September 18, 2024, when he beat Brazil’s Bruno Roberto De Assis to become Pakistan’s first-ever world champion in Karate Combat.