Amber Leibrock, a renowned American Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, has announced her conversion to Islam, attributing her newfound peace and happiness to the faith.
The 35-year-old, who competes in the Featherweight division in the Professional Fighters League, shared her transformative journey through an Instagram post, describing the past few months as ‘life-changing’.
Leibrock’s journey over the past months has been filled with numerous challenges. She shared that she worked harder than ever before, disconnected from loved ones, and even felt that her life was turned upside down. Despite these difficulties, she stated that everything began to make sense in a moment, leading her closer to Allah.
Leibrock’s conversion to Islam was significantly influenced by her mentor, Mujeed Hameed, who introduced her to the faith. In her words, “MJ has always been a mentor of mine, he introduced me to the faith and helped me convert.” Hameed has stated that Islam has had a substantial impact on Leibrock’s fighting career, enhancing her patience and tolerance while helping her cope with nerves and trust in divine guidance.
Leibrock’s decision to adopt Islam followed a challenging period in her life, which included a pivotal defeat against Larissa Pacheco. However, the defeat was not the sole catalyst. Her conversion was a response to a series of personal issues she was grappling with. In her words, “I converted to Islam about five weeks ago. After the Larissa fight, some personal things happened, and I was in a really dark, lost place.”
Following her pledge to Islam at the Muslim Community Center in East Bay, California, USA, Leibrock expressed her joy at embracing the faith, stating that it has brought about a 100% change in her life. As she said, “For me to actually practice my religion every day, as a Muslim we pray five times a day, I read my Quran every day, especially as a new convert, and it’s saved my life.”
