Latest news with #PFLMENA
Arab News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
‘More than I imagined': Saudi's Ahmed Makki, Malik Basahel bask in impressive PFL MENA wins at home
JEDDAH: The second season of PFL MENA got off to an exciting start at the weekend with wins for local favorites, and fighters in the featherweight and lightweight divisions advancing to the playoffs. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport In the main event at the Onyx Arena, 2024 PFL lightweight champion Mohsen Mohammadseifi of Iran beat Egypt's Ahmed El-Sisy by unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals. Mohammadseifi leaned on his striking in the early rounds before shifting gears and showcasing his grappling in the final frame to seal the victory. In the co-main event, PFL MENA newcomer Salah Eddine Hamli of Morocco clinched a spot in the lightweight semifinals with a slick third-round submission victory over Bahrain's Abbas Khan. Taha Bendaoud of Morocco needed just over two minutes to put away Boualem Drissi of Algeria by submission and secure his spot in the featherweight semifinals. Malik Basahel of Saudi Arabia made a statement in his professional debut, scoring a second-round TKO win over Algeria's Mountasser Boutouta in a showcase flyweight bout. Basahel said: 'I felt good in there during the fight, I trained hard and well for this fight with my team down at AVT Leeds, so I came in prepared and ready. 'There's not much difference from amateur and pro, just probably the rules set and the extra two minutes in the round but a fight is still just a fight at the end of the day.' He added: 'I'm always going in a fight knowing I'm going to win, even if the first round is not going my way. 'I'm always confident I can turn the fight around if I have to, but for this fight I would say halfway through the first round I figured out the distance and what he wanted to do and managed to overcome that and get the win.' Displaying sharp, well-rounded striking, Basahel picked Boutouta apart with punches, knees and kicks. He sealed the deal in the second round with a perfectly timed knee, followed by a flurry of ground-and-pound to force the stoppage. A commanding performance from bell to bell earned Egypt's Assem Ghanem a spot in the featherweight semifinals, as he smothered Hussein Salem of Iraq over three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory. Islam Reda of Egypt punched his way into the featherweight semifinals with a crushing third-round TKO win over Algeria's Akram Nasri. There was no stopping Reda after getting into full mount in the final round, as he unloaded a barrage of punches to get the win. Mohammad Fahmi of Iraq also secured a spot in the lightweight semifinals with a dominant performance, submitting Georges Eid of Lebanon via Anaconda Choke at the 3:12 mark in the first round. In the final fight of his MMA career, Ahmed Makki of Saudi Arabia went out with a bang, as he notched a third-round Heel-Hook submission win over Hasham Elnamer of Egypt in a showcase lightweight bout. 'It was more than I imagined,' Makki said. 'To go out there and perform the way I did, in front of such an incredible crowd, meant everything to me. 'I wanted my last fight to be a statement, not just for myself, but for everyone who's supported me throughout the years. I'm proud that I was able to end my career on a high note.' 'Retirement doesn't mean stepping away from the sport completely,' he added. 'I'm excited to focus on mentoring young talent, possibly coaching, and working on projects that help grow MMA in the region, especially here in Saudi Arabia. 'I'm also diving deeper into social media to connect with fans and share more behind-the-scenes content, as well as doing fight analysis and commentary. It's a new chapter but still rooted in the sport I love.' Souhil Tairi of Algeria also advanced to the lightweight semifinals with a spectacular second-round TKO over Kuwait's Abdullah Saleem. A devastating knee to the body spelled the beginning of the end for Saleem, as Tairi followed up with vicious strikes on the ground to score the win. Eman Almudhaf of Kuwait remained undefeated in her MMA career with a win over Shamara Braga of Brazil in a showcase women's featherweight bout. Almudhaf bucked a slow opening round and put the pressure on Braga in the second and third rounds to earn a split decision victory. In the opening bout of the night, Abdulaziz Al-Moammar of Saudi Arabia beat Fares Hamdani of Algeria in an amateur showcase bout. Al-Moammar was the more aggressive fighter throughout the three-round contest, using his grappling to control the pace en route to a unanimous decision win. The featherweight tournament's co-main event between Jordan's Izzeddine Al-Derbani and Yanis Ghemmouri of Algeria was canceled after Al-Derbani was deemed unable to compete due to medical reasons.
Qatar Tribune
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
PFL MENA: No pressure here, says Bendaoud
Ayeni Olusegun Jeddah Morocco's Taha 'Atlas Lion' Bendaoud has shrugged off talk of pressure as he prepares to step into the cage at PFL MENA Season 2, set for May 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Bendaoud made a stunning return to MMA last year with a victory over Tariq Ismail on the Battle of the Giants fight card. A striking specialist, he has remained unbeaten since losing his amateur debut and has yet to suffer a defeat in his professional career. Speaking ahead of his fight on Friday, Bendaoud said, 'It's just a belt, and I have already won three in my career. This is just another one for the collection.' 'I feel like my last fight was even more pressured. I was in one of the biggest cards, maybe the biggest card in PFL history. That was a lot of pressure. I was not even ready then like I am now. Now it's just a fight, a start for me. It feels like the first fight for a new chapter.' The Moroccan, who has overcome personal hurdles including health scares and mental health struggles, says he is now in a much better place, both physically and mentally. 'Life is not always butterflies. Sometimes we have hard moments, and I had my part of it,' Bendaoud said. 'I have suffered hard moments in my life and thank God everything is good now. I'm feeling ready and mentally sharp. The last time I fought here, I literally trained like a few weeks before the fight. I was not in a good shape. Now I really had a proper camp, I'm mentally clear and physically, so sharp. I feel better than when I was 20 years old, and I'm just ready to show you guys what I have,' he added. With physical and mental struggles behind him, Bendaoud says he's chasing more than belts, but 'excellence.' Bendaoud steps into the cage looking to make a statement, not just with a win, but with a performance that reflects the journey he's fought to overcome. 'My goal is not PFL MENA belt, PFL belt, not even the UFC belt. My goal is just to prove that I'm the best, and I want to be the best ever. So, it's just chasing excellence, this is what I'm looking for. I'm going into the cage the same way I go to the gym. I'm going to enjoy that moment and have fun. I trained and sparred with the best in the world; this is not new for me,' he added. Bendaoud will have to restrategise for Friday's bout after his scheduled opponent Abdelrahman Alhyasat failed to make weight. He has been replaced by Algeria's Boualem Drissi.
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Patrice Evra's debut postponed as PFL cancels Paris event
Patrice Evra's debut postponed as PFL cancels Paris event Soccer legend Patrice Evra's MMA debut will have to wait. On Thursday, PFL announced its Paris event scheduled for May 23 at Accor Arena has been canceled. No reason for the cancellation was given, nor was a reschedule date. "PFL Europe Paris on 23 May has been rescheduled and a new date will be announced soon," PFL said in a statement. "All fans who have purchased tickets will receive a full refund." Evra, 43, signed with PFL in April. Though his debut date was announced as the Paris event, no opponent was ever selected. The card was expected to be headlined by a lightweight bout between Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan and also feature 2025 PFL Europe tournament quarterfinal bouts. It's unclear where the fighters will now land. France has been a strong market for PFL in the past, with fighters like Cedric Doumbe and Abdoul Abdouraguimov selling out Accor Arena. PFL is set to hold two events this week with PFL MENA set for Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and PFL Europe set for Saturday in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Qatar Tribune
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
‘PFL MENA eyes regional expansion, committed to Arab MMA'
Ayeni Olusegun Doha The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is unwavering on its mission to discover and empower mixed martial arts talent across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), while also expanding into new markets to further cement the sport's growth in the region, according to Jerome Mazet, General Manager of PFL MENA. Speaking to Qatar Tribune ahead of the PFL MENA Season 2 opener in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 9, Mazet reflected on the league's journey and fan response since its regional debut last year. While the promotion anticipated a strong launch, Mazet admitted the level of fan engagement exceeded expectations. 'We hoped for it to be big,' Mazet said of PFL MENA's rapid growth. 'I'm not sure we expected it to be this big. I think we had a few surprises last year like Hattan Alsaif. We did not expect her to become such a phenomenon so fast, connecting with the fans and performing well. We also had a few fighters like Abdelrahman Alhyasat and Omar El Dafrawy. Those are some of the fighters that you can't explain. People love them, they have a certain style, they connect and have a lot of fans.' With strong regional talent emerging and a deepening fan base, PFL's footprint in MENA continues to grow, positioning them as a driving force for the sport's future in the Arab world. 'The mission of PFL MENA is to find the best fighters in the region, the best Arab fighters. That means not just of today, like Omar or Abdelrahman, but also of tomorrow. This is what we are doing with Hattan and ZamZam in the UAE. 'We want to develop them, give them the chance to grow and the platform to express themselves in a safe and professional environment with the PFL, at a regional and global level. We have broadcasters in 140 territories for PFL MENA, so, it's really giving them that platform,' he added. Building on the success of Season 1, Mazet revealed that PFL MENA is now eyeing expansion into more regional markets. Earlier this year in January, the PFL hosted the Road to Dubai series in Dubai. Mazet disclosed that PFL will be in Dubai before the end of the year with other places in the Gulf also of interest. With countries such as Qatar, Kuwait already touted as potential hosts of the promotion, the Maghreb have now been added on the radar as potential hosts for future events. He noted that Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria in particular boast strong television audiences, making them prime candidates for some of the league's biggest fights. 'When we look at the TV audiences, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria etc., are 100% behind the large numbers. Egypt is our number one market in TV audience, so there's a huge potential over there, and we see it across the region,' Mazet said. 'It surprised us a bit, and it really validated the concept of PFL MENA, which is the League of the future, and this region has so much potential. We just need to give the fighters a chance to have the proper platform to grow, develop, and express themselves. That's our mission.'
Qatar Tribune
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Focused AlHyasat ready to renew title hopes as PFL MENA 2 begins
Ayeni Olusegun DOHA Jordan's Abdelrahman 'Cobra' AlHyasat is determined to redeem himself after a dramatic and disappointing end to his 2024 MMA campaign. The featherweight star is set to return to the cage as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) returns to the Middle East for PFL MENA 2 on May 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Alhyasat who was on course for a marquee clash against Saudi own Abdullah Al Qahtani for the inaugural PFL MENA Featherweight belt in November last year, but he was forced to pull out after he failed to make weight and suffered a serious health scare. In an interview with Qatar Tribune, the charismatic Alhyasat said despite warnings from his coach and team, the outcome of his weigh-in failure solely lies with him. 'During weight cut, everything was going according to plan,' he said. 'But I made a terrible decision. Everyone, including my coach, warned me not to. He even said he'd leave the room if I went through with it. But I was completely exhausted and struggling to breathe, so I drank a 100ml Red Bull.' Unfortunately for the Jordanian, that mistake nearly cost him more than just the fight. 'As soon as I got into the hot tub, my heart started racing. I thought I was going to die. Thankfully, my team reacted quickly and called an ambulance. At the hospital, I was treated with saline water, IV and oxygen. The doctor told me I wasn't fit to fight,' AlHyasat recalled. Al Qahtani went on to win the featherweight title after defeating Alhyasat's replacement Morocco's Marouane Bellagouit in the first round. For Alhyasat, many questioned if he was truly injured, a misconception the combative 5-0 featherweight said hurt him not only physically. 'Many fans don't understand what goes on outside the cage. They don't realise this game is dangerous,' he said. 'They said things about me like how much money I was paid and why I pulled out of the fight. I wanted to go crazy.' Following the backlash, Alhyasat took an extended vacation which he called 'refreshing.' Now, with a renewed sense of focus and a point to prove, Cobra is ready to reignite his championship ambitions in Jeddah as he opens his season against Taha Bendaoud. 'Last year broke my heart. All my plans, goals disappeared in one moment. All from my mistake. I need to be the first one to care about my dreams and goals. People around you can help push you to the top, but you need to have the desires inside to be there. 'This is 2025 now, I don't care about other fighters. I have my opponent now (Bendaoud), and I'm going to smash him. Anyone who faces me inside the cage will be my next prey and I will make them cry. I'm going to be happy and celebrate with my team. That's the only thing I know,' Alhyasat added. Personal ambitions aside, Alhyasat praised the PFL's presence in the MENA region, calling the promotion's presence a game changer and a spark. 'PFL MENA came to the Arab world and moved MMA in the region to the top. Right now, everybody in Jordan and in the Middle East know about the PFL and MMA. 'They watch the fights, they know the fighters, and they have realised what sport truly means.'
