Mo Alaqraa traded Kuwait for the mountains to chase a dream: ‘I will make you all proud’
For now, the mission is clear. He fights for himself and also for the people back home who send him strength. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means everything to me. Every message, every prayer motivates me. Inshallah I will make you all proud and raise the flag of Kuwait high on fight night."
For the Kuwaiti welterweight, Mohammad “Mo” Alaqraa isn’t interested in just participating. The goal has always been singular: a PFL championship. As he heads into the PFL MENA finals against Badreddine Diani on December 5, his mindset is on gold and bringing glory to his people.
“Alhamdulillah, it’s a blessing,” Alaqraa says about reaching the final. “I’m grateful for this opportunity, but I’m not celebrating yet. I worked hard to reach this point, and now I’m fully focused on finishing the job and bringing this title home to Kuwait.”
Alaqraa acknowledges that talent exists, but he refuses to lean on it. “Because I don’t rely on talent alone, I believe on hard work,” he explains. “Every day I push myself to improve, stay disciplined, and stay humble.”
His career path is defined by leaving his comfort zone. He left his home in Kuwait to train in the United States at the prestigious American Kickboxing Academy, and later sought out the grueling wrestling culture of Dagestan. “I have sacrificed all my life to be here, moved to the US, then Dagestan now, just to become a world champion and make my dream true.”
The results of that sacrifice are showing in the cage. After falling short in the 2024 season, he adjusted his game. He claims he is a different fighter now.
“I’m constantly evolving, and I think that mindset is what makes me stand out in this division. You can see the difference from last year’s tournament I improved my striking a lot, added new tools, and built on my already strong grappling. I’m a better, more complete fighter today because I never stop working.”
His opponent, Badreddine Diani, presents a familiar challenge. They were scheduled to fight multiple times before, giving Alaqraa ample time to prepare. While there is professional respect, there is also tension. “I respect him as a fighter even though he got a big mouth. I see him as someone who wanna take my dream away from me, and I will never let that happen. I’m coming with everything and more hunger.”
Preparation for this specific bout went beyond a standard training camp. Alaqraa isolated himself to ensure zero distractions. “Its not an 8-week camp for me. it’s two years of continuous work. I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time. I already know everything about Badreddine because we were supposed to fight more than once, so I’ve studied him well. I’ve been training in the mountains, isolated from the world, fully focused on this final. I worked on the small details, improved every part of my game, and stayed surrounded by great coaches and teammates. This isn’t just a camp it’s the result of years of hard work.”
Looking ahead, Alaqraa has a plan for after the fight. He intends to rest briefly before chasing the bigger picture. “Take a break for couple weeks, as I been in 2 tournaments in a row. But being a PFL MENA champion is just the beginning to achieve the real dream which is world champion.”
The road hasn’t been smooth, but he views obstacles as necessary lessons. “To trust the process. Success doesn’t come overnight. It comes from patience, discipline, faith, and staying committed even on the hard days. 2025 taught me that every setback builds a stronger version of you.”
For now, the mission is clear. He fights for himself and also for the people back home who send him strength. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means everything to me. Every message, every prayer motivates me. Inshallah I will make you all proud and raise the flag of Kuwait high on fight night.”
