Exclusive | Abdullah Al-Qahtani: Saudi Arabia’s MMA Pioneer Inspired by Badr Hari

Abdullah Al-Qahtani Badr HariAbdullah Al-Qahtani made history on November 29, 2024, by winning the PFL MENA Featherweight Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia….

Abdullah Al-Qahtani Badr Hari

Abdullah Al-Qahtani made history on November 29, 2024, by winning the PFL MENA Featherweight Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 26-year-old fighter defeated Marouane Bellagouit by TKO in the first round, securing his place as one of the top names in MMA. With this victory, Al-Qahtani improved his professional record to 10-2, earning both the championship belt and a $100,000 prize.

Abdullah Al-Qahtani

This PFL MENA title was the culmination of years of hard work. “Oh, it’s perfect,” Abdullah Al-Qahtani told me in a conversation. “I worked for this, and now I got my belt. This is what I wanted from the beginning of my journey. I wanted something big.”

Badr Hari

Raised in Saudi Arabia with Moroccan roots, Al-Qahtani was inspired by the legendary kickboxer Badr Hari, a household name in Morocco. As a child, he would watch Hari on YouTube and TV, marveling at his knockout power. “When I saw Badr Hari, I thought, ‘This guy is huge!’” Al-Qahtani said. “I wanted to be like him.” What Badr Hari did for combat sports in Morocco, Al-Qahtani is looking to do the same in Saudi Arabia alongside the PFL.

Badr Hari

Looking ahead, Al-Qahtani is already planning his next steps. He’s excited for the future and eager to represent Saudi Arabia on the global stage. “I don’t just want to be a normal fighter,” he said. “I want to be someone people look up to.”

Abdullah Al Qahtani
Photo By Tim Wheaton

Interview with Abdullah Al-Qahtani

“F*** it” Francis Ngannou Cuts Ties with Jon Jones Hype “That’s Not My Problem”

"F*** it" Francis Ngannou Cuts Ties with Jon Jones Hype "That's Not My Problem"Francis Ngannou has had enough. The former UFC heavyweight champion, who left the promotion amid contract disputes in 2022,…

"F*** it" Francis Ngannou Cuts Ties with Jon Jones Hype "That's Not My Problem"

Francis Ngannou has had enough. The former UFC heavyweight champion, who left the promotion amid contract disputes in 2022, is putting an end to the persistent speculation surrounding a potential fight with Jon Jones, one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

Francis Ngannou Talks Jon Jones

In a candid statement, Francis Ngannou dismissed any further discussions about the long-rumored bout, stating, “It’s been four years that I’ve been singing. I’m confused that people keep asking me this question, like, ‘Is it… it’s been four years. That’s not my problem. I don’t care about it anymore. If it happens, yes. If it doesn’t, f*** it.”

Ngannou’s frustration with the ongoing questions about a Jon Jones fight comes after years of fans and analysts dreaming of the matchup. Jones, who became the youngest UFC champion at 23 and has since cemented himself as one of the sport’s legends, recently moved up to heavyweight and won the title by defeating Ciryl Gane in March 2023. However, despite Jones’ undeniable skill and dominance in the octagon, his career has been marred by controversies outside of it, including failed drug tests and legal issues. Additionally, ‘Bones’ waited for Ngannou to leave the company before moving to heavyweight.

Since walking away from the UFC, Ngannou has ventured into boxing, where he faced Tyson Fury in a competitive bout, and Anthony Joshua in a blockbuster fight, plus signed with the PFL, where he recently claimed their inaugural Super Fights Heavyweight Championship.

Francis Ngannou PFL
Francis Ngannou

While the fight may still be one of MMA’s biggest “what if” scenarios, Francis Ngannou is moving forward. With new challenges in boxing and the PFL, the former UFC champion is focused on what lies ahead, leaving the Jon Jones hype in the past. Saudi Arabia, involved in boxing, the PFL, and the UFC, might be planning for this fight. The PFL is willing, but it is unlikely the UFC will budge on this.

Francis Ngannou ‘Doesn’t Care’ About Jon Jones Anymore, Knows What Fight He ‘For Sure’ Wants

Francis Ngannou is tired of being asked questions about a potential fight with the UFC’s heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. The two of them colliding in the UFC was a huge talking point towards the end of 2022 until the saga ended with Ngannou leaving the promotion and vacating the title which was later won by […]

Francis Ngannou is tired of being asked questions about a potential fight with the UFC’s heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. The two of them colliding in the UFC was a huge talking point towards the end of 2022 until the saga ended with Ngannou leaving the promotion and vacating the title which was later won by Jones.

With the two men now being at the top in different promotions, it seems unlikely that they will face off with another if the UFC and PFL don’t go into business with each other but Turki Alalshikh might be the only person that could make that happen. During an interview with Seconds Out during fight week for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 in Riyadh, Ngannou was asked about whether a meeting with the consensus greatest of all time is still of interest to him.

From Ngannou’s point of view, he has always claimed that he is happy to compete against Jones, stating that he has never been the one that has stopped it from happening. The PFL star said that he is no longer giving this fight any of his energy because whether we ever see it or not isn’t a decision that rests on his shoulders.

“It’s been four years that I’ve been saying it, I’m confused that people keep asking me this question,” Ngannou told Seconds Out. “It’s been four years! That’s not my problem, I don’t care about it anymore. If it happens, yes, if it doesn’t, f— it.”

It’s not clear what Ngannou’s next fight will be right now although there may be some more clarity on that following his conversations with Alalshikh in Saudi Arabia this week. Ngannou has picked Usyk to beat “The Gypsy King” for a second time on Saturday night and this result could potentially lead to him getting a rematch with Fury following their closely contested fight in his boxing debut last year.

“What I do know for sure is that I want a rematch with Fury,” he said.

Ngannou isn’t interested in avenging his other boxing loss which came earlier this year against Anthony Joshua. Another name that has been spoken about is Deontay Wilder who would seemingly be a more enticing option for Ngannou than the MMA bouts that are out there for him right now.

“The rematch with Joshua, honestly I felt very off and not very comfortable in that fight,” Ngannou said. “It’s definitely something that could happen, but … I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I didn’t like the Joshua fight. I think things wasn’t right. Nothing was right. And if it’s going to be the same scenario, I’m not interested.”

Francis Ngannou ‘Doesn’t Care’ About Jon Jones Anymore, Knows What Fight He ‘For Sure’ Wants

Francis Ngannou is tired of being asked questions about a potential fight with the UFC’s heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. The two of them colliding in the UFC was a huge talking point towards the end of 2022 until the saga ended with Ngannou leaving the promotion and vacating the title which was later won by […]

Francis Ngannou is tired of being asked questions about a potential fight with the UFC’s heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. The two of them colliding in the UFC was a huge talking point towards the end of 2022 until the saga ended with Ngannou leaving the promotion and vacating the title which was later won by Jones.

With the two men now being at the top in different promotions, it seems unlikely that they will face off with another if the UFC and PFL don’t go into business with each other but Turki Alalshikh might be the only person that could make that happen. During an interview with Seconds Out during fight week for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 in Riyadh, Ngannou was asked about whether a meeting with the consensus greatest of all time is still of interest to him.

From Ngannou’s point of view, he has always claimed that he is happy to compete against Jones, stating that he has never been the one that has stopped it from happening. The PFL star said that he is no longer giving this fight any of his energy because whether we ever see it or not isn’t a decision that rests on his shoulders.

“It’s been four years that I’ve been saying it, I’m confused that people keep asking me this question,” Ngannou told Seconds Out. “It’s been four years! That’s not my problem, I don’t care about it anymore. If it happens, yes, if it doesn’t, f— it.”

It’s not clear what Ngannou’s next fight will be right now although there may be some more clarity on that following his conversations with Alalshikh in Saudi Arabia this week. Ngannou has picked Usyk to beat “The Gypsy King” for a second time on Saturday night and this result could potentially lead to him getting a rematch with Fury following their closely contested fight in his boxing debut last year.

“What I do know for sure is that I want a rematch with Fury,” he said.

Ngannou isn’t interested in avenging his other boxing loss which came earlier this year against Anthony Joshua. Another name that has been spoken about is Deontay Wilder who would seemingly be a more enticing option for Ngannou than the MMA bouts that are out there for him right now.

“The rematch with Joshua, honestly I felt very off and not very comfortable in that fight,” Ngannou said. “It’s definitely something that could happen, but … I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I didn’t like the Joshua fight. I think things wasn’t right. Nothing was right. And if it’s going to be the same scenario, I’m not interested.”

PFL Founder Rejects Bellator Fighter Complaints, Insists Promotion Did ‘Best They Could’ In 2024

2024 has provided some problems for the PFL that they haven’t had to deal with in the past. Despite having the PFL debut of Francis Ngannou and some great performances on the 2024 World Championships card, a lot of the talk surrounding the promotion as of late has revolved around the fighters that haven’t been […]

2024 has provided some problems for the PFL that they haven’t had to deal with in the past. Despite having the PFL debut of Francis Ngannou and some great performances on the 2024 World Championships card, a lot of the talk surrounding the promotion as of late has revolved around the fighters that haven’t been in action.

Following the acquisition of Bellator last year, the PFL was always going to have to work out how to keep a huge amount of new fighters on the roster busy and happy. This has not been the case for some of the top names in the promotion including Bellator champions like Patrício Pitbull, Cris Cyborg and Patchy Mix who have all complained about not being as active as they would like.

In a recent social media post, PFL founder Donn Davis hit back at some of the criticisms by stating that the promotion always has and always will offer each athlete the opportunity to compete twice per calendar year. It is also worth noting that the following post was edited with a slight change to the wording.

The post originally read that the PFL did “a good job” before it was later changed to state that the promotion did the “best we could”.

“PFL has ALWAYS provided all fighters 2 fights a year … When we acquired Bellator THEY had ZERO fight events scheduled for their Bellator 210 fighters in 2024. @PFLMMA stepped in and did best we could for them in 2024 … 2025 ALL fighters again 2 fights a year!”

Cyborg, who is the Bellator featherweight champion, has been one of the most vocal about her issues with the PFL but this has quietened down since her fight with Larissa Pacheco in October. The Brazilian icon responded to Davis’ post and showed her support for the promotion.

Pitbull, on the other hand, has made his mind up that he wishes to be released from the promotion so that he can go and fight elsewhere after going public with his complaints. He also responded and disputed some of the claims made by Davis.

Fans Cry Foul as Kayla Harrison Edges Out Dakota Ditcheva for 2024 ESPN Honor

Fans Cry Foul as Kayla Harrison Edges Out Dakota Ditcheva for 2024 ESPN HonorDakota Ditcheva or Kayla Harrison? Kayla Harrison has been named ESPN’s Female Fighter of the Year for 2024. While…

Fans Cry Foul as Kayla Harrison Edges Out Dakota Ditcheva for 2024 ESPN Honor

Dakota Ditcheva or Kayla Harrison? Kayla Harrison has been named ESPN’s Female Fighter of the Year for 2024. While Harrison’s accomplishments are impressive, the decision has sparked a debate among fans, with many arguing that Dakota Ditcheva had a stronger case for the award.

Kayla Harrison Or Dakota Ditcheva

Kayla Harrison is a former Olympic judo gold medalist who had an incredible run in the PFL and later transitioned to the UFC. Her debut came at UFC 300 in April, where she submitted former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the second round. This victory immediately placed her among the top contenders in the 135-pound division. Harrison solidified her position in October at UFC 307, defeating Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision. The two wins improved her professional record to 18-1.

However, fans have pointed to Dakota Ditcheva’s perfect year as a strong counterargument to Harrison’s selection. Competing in the PFL, Ditcheva delivered four dominant performances, with her becoming the youngest champion in PFL history.

She kicked off the year with back-to-back TKO victories over Lisa Mauldin and Chelsea Hackett, then secured a semifinal win against Jena Bishop in August also via knockout.

In November, Ditcheva claimed the PFL Women’s Flyweight Tournament title and a $1 million prize by defeating former UFC title challenger Taila Santos via TKO. The 25-year-old British fighter ended 2024 with a flawless 14-0 record, earning her recognition as the first British female MMA world champion. Additionally, she was the first fighter ever to stop Santos.

Kayla Harrison Or Dakota Ditcheva

Critics of ESPN’s decision argue that Ditcheva’s historic achievements and unbeaten record should have tipped the scales in her favor. While Harrison’s UFC debut and victories were significant, some fans believe they fell short of Ditcheva’s remarkable run through the PFL tournament. Harrison defeated an over-the-hill Holm and narrowly edged Viera while Ditcheva dominated the field and made history.

Fans Balk at Harrison over Ditcheva

Here are various comments by fans:

“I love Kayla but Dakota Ditcheva would like to have a word…”

“Dakota Ditcheva is 4-0 in 2024 under the PFL banner with 4 knockouts. She’s you’re real 2024 WMMA Fighter of the Year winner.”

“Dakota Ditcheva should have won this. 4-0 over the year, all KO wins with no girl making it out of the 2nd round.”

“Dakota ditcheva should’ve won she went 4-0 in 2024 all by tko”