COMPLETE PFL MENA: DUBAI - PRIDE OF ARABIA

TDT | Dubai

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The Professional Fighters League kicked off the 2026 PFL MENA season at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, where fans were treated to a night of tournament action, showcase bouts, and standout performances from across the region.

In the featherweight tournament main event, the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammad Yahya faced Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi. Saadi opened the bout landing heavy calf kicks which forced the MMA veteran Yahya to change stances. The home town hero “UAE Warrior” responded with heavy straights to push his opponent back. The second round saw the two featherweight tournament competitors trade leg kicks, knees, and punches in combination in a closely contested contest. Yahya stung with sharp punches to control round 3 en route to a split decision loss.

The co-main event featured a lightweight tournament quarterfinal between Morocco’s Salah Eddine Hamli and Algeria’s Ylies Djiroun. The Moroccan pressed in the clinch but met unrelenting power as Djiroun landed a combination of punches to the head and body which earned him a round 1 TKO.

In another featherweight tournament quarterfinal, Hamza Kooheji controlled the contest against Taha Bendaoud in a pivotal opening-round clash. Rising Emirati prospect Zamzam Al Hammadi made her highly anticipated PFL MENA debut in the women’s strawweight amateur showcase against Abeer Mansour and earned a hard-fought decision.

Mohammad Fahmi got a pass to the next round of this tournament as his scheduled opponent, Assem Ghanem, dropped out due to an injury.

Ahmed El Sisy took a hard-earned win over Harda Karim in another lightweight tournament quarterfinal with major implications for the division. After being elevated to tournament status following changes to the card, Basel Shalaan and Abdullah Saleem met in an official lightweight tournament quarterfinal bout, with Shalaan taking the nod after a back-and-forth match. With these impressive wins, Shalaan, El Sisy, Fahmi, and Djiroun advance to the semifinal round of the lightweight PFL MENA tournament.

In flyweight showcase action, Hamad Marhoon faced Saher Qasmieh in a fast-paced contest, with Jordan’s Qasmieh edging out a narrow split decision win. Ahmed Albrahim delivered a one-sided performance against Ibrahim Mahmoud in a welterweight showcase, securing a TKO victory through ground-and-pound. Opening the card, Butti Suwaid Alameri earned a dominant unanimous decision win over Hamada Osman in a featherweight amateur showcase bout.