The Professional Fighters League (PFL) MENA delivered yet another thrilling night of MMA action at The Green Halls in Riyadh, as fighters across divisions battled for spots in the tournament semifinals. From lightning-fast submissions to devastating knockouts, the card was a showcase of the Middle East’s top fighting talent.
The 2024 PFL MENA Welterweight Champion Omar El Dafrawy (14-5) gave the fans a show with a swift first-round triangle choke submission over Italy’s Daniele Miceli (13-7, 1 NC). The win came just 1:15 into the opening round, as El Dafrawy capitalized on an early takedown attempt to seal a clinical finish.
The 2024 runner-up Mohammad Alaqraa (8-1) dominated Omar Hussein (11-7) with relentless pressure, securing a clear-cut 30-27 unanimous decision to advance to the PFL MENA Welterweight Semifinals. Alaqraa will face Mohamed Zarey in the next round.
Speaking to The Times Kuwait Alaqraa said the match went really well as they had a great team plan. They knew his weakness and strength and played to that. Alaqraa was all pumped up as he apologised to his fans for last seasons setbacks and assured Kuwaiti fans that he would be bringing home the championship this time around.
Saudi Arabia’s MMA pioneer Hattan Alsaif (4-0 AM) electrified her home crowd with a second-round TKO victory over Tunisia’s Nour Al Fliti (1-2 AM). Alsaif controlled the fight with vicious knees and kicks before the bout was stopped at 2:24 due to injury.
In one of the night’s most grueling battles, Mohamed Zarey (10-1) overcame early adversity to defeat Ayman Galal (4-2, 1 NC) by unanimous decision and punched his ticket to the Welterweight Semifinals.
Canada-based Moroccan fighter Xavier Alaoui (16-6) used his elite grappling to control and outpoint Ziad Ayman (6-2), winning all three rounds and moving forward in the Bantamweight Tournament.
Veteran Mokhtar Benkaci (25-9, 2 NC) stopped Marcel Adur (19-8-1) with a brutal left to the body, scoring a TKO just 57 seconds into the first round. He now faces Nawras Abzakh in the Bantamweight Semifinals.
In a competitive clash, Badreddine Diani (9-3) did just enough to secure a 29-28 unanimous decision over Ahmed Abdelbast Darwish (4-1), advancing to the Welterweight Semifinals for a rematch with Amir Fazli.
Wushu world champion Amir Fazli (7-3) knocked out Rostem Akman (7-4) with a perfectly timed right hand in Round 2 (1:34), earning his spot in the semifinals and setting up a rematch with Diani.
Former UAE Warriors champ Nawras Abzakh (13-6) demolished previously unbeaten Ali Yazbeck (5-1-1) via second-round KO (0:50), using powerful ground and pound after a knockdown. He’ll now meet Benkaci in a highly anticipated semifinal.
Late replacement Islam Youssef (6-2) stunned the crowd with a flying knee KO at 3:55 of Round 2 over Benyamin Ghahreman (3-1), advancing to face Xavier Alaoui in the Bantamweight Semifinals.
Opening the night, Abdelrahman Alhyasat (6-0) looked strong in his lightweight debut, submitting Anthony Zeidan (5-3) via rear naked choke at 2:50 of Round 2 to keep his undefeated streak intact.
With the brackets now set, the tournament heads toward its dramatic semifinal stage — promising even more action and elite competition as fighters close in on championship glory.
