Kooheji: ‘Bahrain belongs among the best in MMA’

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji earned a unanimous decision victory over Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud on Monday night in Dubai, advancing to the semi-finals of the PFL Mena 9: Pride of Arabia featherweight tournament. The three-round contest was scored 29–28 across all three judges in Kooheji’s favour, a result he said “meant everything to him”.

Fighting out of the highlyegarded KHK MMA Team, Kooheji controlled large portions of the bout with strong grappling exchanges and well-timed takedowns, steadily breaking down his opponent’s rhythm over the course of the fight. The victory marked a strong statement on his PFL Mena debut, reinforcing his status as one of the Kingdom’s MMA athletes on the regional stage.

Speaking exclusively to TDT after the fight, Kooheji said the win carried deep personal and national meaning.

“This win means everything to me. In every corner of the Arab region, we are showing that Bahrain has elite fighters who can compete and win at the highest level. My goal is to prove that we belong among the best in MMA across the region. Representing my country on this stage is not just important to me — it’s my mission.”

The victory also served as a response to his setback last November, when he suffered a fourth-round TKO loss in Bahrain to Serbia’s Borislav Nikolic, who successfully defended the BRAVE CF bantamweight championship. Kooheji said he used that loss as motivation rather than discouragement.

“Every fight, especially after a loss, is about coming back stronger. After I lose, I always focus on improvement rather than dwelling on the setback. The challenge is figuring out how to evolve from it. I make sure I learn, adjust, and use that experience to grow. I never allow a loss to break me, it only makes me stronger.”

With the win, Kooheji now advances to the semi-finals, where he will face the winner of the other quarter-final clash between Algeria’s Elias Boudegzdame and Iraq’s Hussain Salem, scheduled to take place in Jeddah later this month.

Despite securing his place in the next stage, the Bahraini fighter insists his focus remains firmly on the bigger goal.

“I’m still fully focused. I’m not celebrating too much because the job isn’t finished yet. I need to get straight back to training and stay locked in on the goal. My aim is clear — I want to win the belt by the end of the year.”