PFL MENA announces fight card for 2025 opening event in Jeddah
JEDDAH: The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced the fight card for the opening event of the 2025 PFL MENA season, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, May 9, 2025.Headlining the card is a highly anticipated featherweight quarterfinal bout, as Saudi champion Abdullah Al-Qahtani faces Egyptian star Islam Reda, known as 'The Egyptian Zombie,' in a rematch of their 2018 contest, which ended in a win for Al-Qahtani. Reda reached the featherweight final last season but was forced to withdraw due to injury, with Al-Qahtani stepping in and ultimately claiming the title.The card will also feature the PFL MENA debuts of several top talents from the Middle East, including Salahdine Hamli from Morocco, Ezzedine Dourbani from Jordan, Yanis Ghemmouri from Algeria, and Hussein Salem from Iraq.In addition, exhibition bouts will include the first appearances of Abdulaziz Bin Moammar, champion of the 2024 Saudi Games, and Yousef Al-Hosani, the Emirati jiu-jitsu champion and a strong candidate to become one of the region's breakout stars.
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Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Rakan Alireza: From Jeddah's waters to Milan's Olympic slopes
JEDDAH: Cross-country skier Rakan Alireza has made history as the first Saudi athlete to compete in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He is now focused on leaving an even bigger mark on the sport. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Known for his unique dual-sport talent in skiing and rowing, Alireza last year won a rowing gold medal at the Saudi Games, the Kingdom's premier national sporting event held annually. Having steadily progressed on the international ski circuit, he has recently competed in several global events, including the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Above all, Alireza has successfully qualified for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and is already focused on preparing for the prestigious event. 'I've been working toward this goal for years,' Alireza told the media recently. 'It's a dream that's coming closer, but there's still a lot of work to do.' Despite tough competition and limited snow exposure at home, his international experience and discipline keep him in the running. Alireza's journey has already inspired many in the Kingdom. He trains year-round, alternating between alpine slopes and watersport arenas. His ambition extends beyond personal milestones. 'If I can qualify, it opens the door for others. It shows that Saudis belong in winter sports too,' he told Arab News. With growing institutional backing and increasing public interest, Alireza represents a shifting athletic landscape in Saudi Arabia, one where snow is no longer off-limits. For most athletes, preparing for the Winter Olympics involves snow, mountains, and early mornings in alpine silence. For Rakan Alireza, it begins in the desert heat of Jeddah. Now 29, the Saudi athlete will represent the Kingdom in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Reflecting on the moment he learned he had qualified, Alireza called it 'bittersweet. 'Because when you work for a goal for such a long time, and once you reach it, it feels like the end,' he said. He remembers standing among the crowd at the Milan-Cortina slopes years ago — not as an athlete, but as a spectator — quietly dreaming of carrying his nation's flag across that snow. 'I saw different flags. I remember clearly. I felt like I can't wait to raise the Saudi flag there. That's the only thing I remember.' Skiing is now the sport driving his every move. His routine is a cycle of relentless fitness training. 'Wake up early. Two to three hours of steady-state cardio. Go to work. Do it again in the afternoon. Ninety percent of my training is just cardio,' he says, laughing. But the weight of Olympic qualification is never far from his mind. '(In) 2026, I'm going to Milan. In like eight months; it's really close.' Cross-country skiing and rowing may seem worlds apart, but Alireza sees them as complementary. 'They're both the most aerobic sports in the world. Being in the rowing team helps because I'm surrounded by competitors that make me work hard. 'If you go see the cross-country skiing field, I stick out like a sore thumb. I'm too big for the sport,' Alireza added. 'I drop from 91 kg to 85 during the season. Here in Jeddah, I just can't. It's a struggle.' His choice to pursue both sports was not always welcomed. 'They wanted me to focus strictly on one. But I didn't believe that was my way. I'd rather fail my way than succeed someone else's way.' His commitment to sporting excellence is deeply personal. 'It's a privilege to do what I do. I don't want to waste it. I don't regret anything. Even the race I didn't win, I'd do it again.' Alireza believes that mental strength can be forged through a dedication to motion. 'Anyone who tells me he has problems, I tell him: Go run. Do something boring for a while. You'll be in your head a lot. You need to push past that.' A key figure in his journey is his coach, Christer Skog, a seasoned Swedish trainer who has led national teams in Sweden, the Czech Republic, the UK, and Australia. 'Now he has me. We fight. We eat cake. We move forward,' Alireza laughs. Skog's unconventional methods resonate with him. 'He once told me to go pick mushrooms for dinner instead of training. I ended up hiking for three hours. He just knows how to get my head back into it.' Despite the rigorous training, Alireza remains grounded in humor and family. 'My dad still thinks I should work, but he supports me. My mom is my biggest cheerleader.' Apart from his skiing and rowing adventures, Alireza is also a sports entrepreneur and is currently working with Kona Jeddah Marine Sports Club, Saudi Arabia's first wakeboarding facility. 'I started three years ago. It was a coincidence,' he said. 'I had just returned from a winter trip. I had no job. I was supposed to attend a wedding, but I stayed at the training center instead. That's when my boss saw me and said, 'You're Rakan Alireza? Stay.' Two weeks later, I was hired.' Kona Jeddah is more than a sports club. It's a grassroots incubator offering wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and electric surfboards. 'We introduced wakeboarding in Saudi. We have the first cable system here. The IWWF (International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation) certified us. Now they want to host international competitions. It's something I can contribute to.' Alireza hopes Kona will one day produce Olympic-level athletes. 'We already have MoUs with federations,' he said. 'Rowing, swimming, kayaking. I want someone to go to the Olympics from a sport we built here.' Alireza sees such targets as part of his contribution to the Kingdom's Vision 2030. 'When people say I'm ambitious, I say I'm just following the lead. Our leadership, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, are ambitious. The country is ambitious. It's a duty for us to contribute.' The 2026 Winter Olympics will run from Feb. 6-22 next year, and as the countdown to the action in Milan continues, Alireza's focus is sharpening. 'I called the CEO of the rowing federation. He said, 'We'd love to have you back, but you should focus on skiing now. You have eight months. Give it your best.' 'Everything runs its course,' Alireza said. 'I haven't reached the point where I hate it. I'll always be in something. 'Maybe retirement from sport? Golf,' he grins. 'But not yet. Not now.'
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia beat Bahrain to stay in World Cup qualification hunt
Saudi Gazette report RIFFA — Saudi Arabia kept their hopes of automatic qualification alive with a 2-0 victory over Bahrain in Group C of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 on Thursday. The result lifted Herve Renard's side to 13 points, setting up a decisive showdown with group leaders Australia next Tuesday. The Saudis must win that match by at least four goals to overtake the Socceroos on goal difference and secure second place. The Green Falcons asserted themselves early at Bahrain National Stadium. A long-range pass from Hassan Al Tambakti found Ali Majrashi in space, but the fullback's second touch allowed Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla to close down quickly. Saudi Arabia found their breakthrough in the 16th minute. Captain Salem Al Dawsari delivered a pinpoint first-time cross to the far post, where Musab Al Juwayr — recently named Saudi Pro League Young Player of the Season — calmly sidefooted the ball home. Bahrain responded with long-range efforts from Komail Al Aswad and Mohamed Marhoon, but neither troubled Saudi keeper Nawaf Al Aqidi. Al Dawsari had a chance to double the lead in the 40th minute after a clever through-ball from Aiman Yahya, but his chipped finish drifted just over the bar. After the break, Saudi Arabia pressed for a second. Feras Albrikan had the ball in the net just before the hour mark, but the goal was disallowed for offside in the buildup. Bahrain nearly equalized in the 68th minute, but Marhoon's strike off a low cross from Ebrahim Alkhatal struck the post. Five minutes later, Al Aqidi produced a double save to deny Vincent Emmanuel and Mahdi Abduljabbar in quick succession. With Bahrain pushing forward in search of a goal, Saudi Arabia capitalized. In the closing minutes, Majrashi played a through ball to substitute Abduralrahman Alobud, who finished clinically to seal the 2-0 win. Saudi Arabia now face a high-stakes final group match against Australia, where only a convincing +5 goals win will send them directly to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Leaders
3 days ago
- Leaders
Inzaghi named Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal coach after Inter Milan exit
Simone Inzaghi was appointed head coach of Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal, a day after leaving Inter Milan and less than two weeks before the club's opening match at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 49-year-old Italian signed a two-year contract reportedly worth more than 20 million euros ($23 million) per season. 'The Italian genius is here,' Al-Hilal said in a post on social media. Inzaghi's move comes days after Inter were thrashed 5-0 by Paris St Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday — the heaviest defeat in a major European final in the competition's 70-year history. He led Inter to the Serie A title last season and was in charge when they lost the 2023 Champions League final to Manchester City. Inzaghi spent four years at the Milan club. Al-Hilal face Real Madrid in their Club World Cup opener on June 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Short link : Post Views: 13 Related Stories
