Kooheji eyes PFL MENA final
Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji will look to move one step closer to the PFL MENA title when he faces Algeria’s Elias Boudegzdame in the featherweight semi-finals in Riyadh next month.
The KHK MMA star returns to action at PFL MENA 11 on October 2 at the Global Theatre in Boulevard City in the Saudi capital, with a place in the tournament final at stake.
Kooheji secured his place with a unanimous decision victory over Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud at PFL MENA 9 in Dubai. The 33-year-old controlled large periods of the three-round contest through his grappling and well-timed takedowns, with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28 in his favour.
The victory marked a successful PFL MENA debut and an important response to his previous outing, when he suffered a fourth-round stoppage defeat to Serbia’s Borislav Nikolic in Bahrain last November.
Speaking exclusively to TDT after overcoming Bendaoud, Kooheji made clear that his focus remained on going all the way in the tournament.
“I’m still fully focused. I’m not celebrating too much because the job isn’t finished yet,” he said.
“My aim is clear, I want to win the belt by the end of the year.”
He also stressed what his run means for Bahraini MMA.
“In every corner of the Arab region, we are showing that Bahrain has elite fighters who can compete and win at the highest level,” Kooheji said. “My goal is to prove that we belong among the best in MMA across the region.”
Standing in his way is the experienced Boudegzdame, who carries a 21-9 professional record compared with Kooheji’s 15-4.
The Algerian advanced after defeating Iraq’s Hussain Salem, setting up a meeting between two seasoned featherweights.
The other semi-final in the division will see Lebanon’s unbeaten Shadi Kabbani face France’s Mehdi Saadi.
PFL MENA 11 will also feature semi-finals in the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
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