Abdullah Al-Qahtani made history on November 29, 2024, by winning the PFL MENA Featherweight Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia….
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.
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 has been a prime face of the PFL’s expansion into the Middle East, and he continued that trend by defeating Marouane Bellagouit to become the inaugural PFL MENA featherweight champion. The two headlined the MENA portion of the PFL World Championship card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday. Al-Qahtani and Bellagouit traded strikes […]
Abdullah Al-Qahtani has been a prime face of the PFL’s expansion into the Middle East, and he continued that trend by defeating Marouane Bellagouit to become the inaugural PFL MENA featherweight champion.
The two headlined the MENA portion of the PFL World Championship card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Al-Qahtani and Bellagouit traded strikes in an intense exchange, with both landing powerful shots. The Saudi favorite ultimately dropped his Moroccan counterpart twice over the course of the round, overwhelming him with a relentless flurry of punches to put him away and win the gold.
Al-Qahtani debuted in the PFL last year as the first Saudi talent in the promotion’s history. He won five straight fights before losing to Abdalrahman Alhyasat in September. Alhyasat’s inability to make tonight’s title fight, however, resulted in another chance for Al-Qahtani to step up and earn the gold.
Bellagouit, a veteran of UAE Warriors, defeated Mido Mohamed earlier this year but lost to Islam Reda in September’s PFL MENA semifinals. However, he also reached the final as a result of Reda being unable to make the walk.
With the PFL MENA championship card complete, the likes of Brendan Loughnane, Dakota Ditcheva, and Impa Kasanganay will compete for PFL Global gold and $1 million in prize money on the main card at King Saud University.
Ali Taleb brought out a vicious performance that ended in a quick knockout to capture the first-ever PFL MENA bantamweight championship in Saudi Arabia. After a bit of kick-heavy attacks from his opponent, Rachid El Hazoume, Taleb stunned him with a one-two, namely from an uppercut, before launching a flurry that ended with him dropping […]
Ali Taleb brought out a vicious performance that ended in a quick knockout to capture the first-ever PFL MENA bantamweight championship in Saudi Arabia.
After a bit of kick-heavy attacks from his opponent, Rachid El Hazoume, Taleb stunned him with a one-two, namely from an uppercut, before launching a flurry that ended with him dropping the Moroccan with a right hand.
The fight came to a close with just 85 seconds on the clock.
Taleb reached the finals at today’s PFL World Championship with wins over Nawras Abzakh and Jalal Al Daja. He competed in the inaugural PFL Europe season last year, falling short against Khurshed Kakhorov in the semifinals.
El Hazoume, meanwhile, entered the fight with seven wins in his last eight fights, including over Xavier Alaoui and Elias Boudegzdame to reach the 135-pound final.
After the four PFL MENA titles are handed, 12 fighters will compete for PFL Global glory on the main card at Riyadh’s King Saud University.
Ali Taleb brought out a vicious performance that ended in a quick knockout to capture the first-ever PFL MENA bantamweight championship in Saudi Arabia. After a bit of kick-heavy attacks from his opponent, Rachid El Hazoume, Taleb stunned him with a one-two, namely from an uppercut, before launching a flurry that ended with him dropping […]
Ali Taleb brought out a vicious performance that ended in a quick knockout to capture the first-ever PFL MENA bantamweight championship in Saudi Arabia.
After a bit of kick-heavy attacks from his opponent, Rachid El Hazoume, Taleb stunned him with a one-two, namely from an uppercut, before launching a flurry that ended with him dropping the Moroccan with a right hand.
The fight came to a close with just 85 seconds on the clock.
Taleb reached the finals at today’s PFL World Championship with wins over Nawras Abzakh and Jalal Al Daja. He competed in the inaugural PFL Europe season last year, falling short against Khurshed Kakhorov in the semifinals.
El Hazoume, meanwhile, entered the fight with seven wins in his last eight fights, including over Xavier Alaoui and Elias Boudegzdame to reach the 135-pound final.
After the four PFL MENA titles are handed, 12 fighters will compete for PFL Global glory on the main card at Riyadh’s King Saud University.
The inaugural PFL MENA season continued on Friday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action! Having broken onto the scene with its regular season and playoff format in North America, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has begun its pursuit of further prominence around the globe. In 2023, that took sizable step forward with […]
The inaugural PFL MENA season continued on Friday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!
Having broken onto the scene with its regular season and playoff format in North America, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has begun its pursuit of further prominence around the globe.
In 2023, that took sizable step forward with the maiden PFL Europe season. And this year, the promotion continues to grow with its latest regional expansion, PFL MENA (Middle East and North Africa).
The main event came at 145 pounds, where Saudi Arabia’s own Abdullah Al-Qahtani had hope to advance from his semifinal against Jordan’s Abdelrahman Alhyasat. After recording two wins at PFL global events in 2023 and opening his 2024 with another knockout triumph on the PFL vs. Bellator card, “The Reaper” was now nearing regional dominance.
However, hopes of that came to a crashing halt courtesy of Alhyasat’s efforts on fight night. He outpointed the home favorite on all three scorecards to take home the upset win.
While the event was broadcast on DAZN for select countries, it was unfortunately not available to audiences in the United States. However, MMA News has you covered below with the full results and all the highlights below.
2024 PFL MENA Playoffs Results & Highlights
Featherweight Semifinal: Abdelrahman Alhyasat def. Abdullah Al-Qahtani via unanimous decision
Welterweight Semifinal: Omar El Dafrawy def. Jarrah Al-Selawe via TKO: R1, 3:11
Welterweight Semifinal: Mohammad Alaqraa def. Amir Fazli via unanimous decision
Lightweight Semifinal: Mohsen Mohammadseifi def. Souhil Tairi via unanimous decision
Bantamweight Semifinal: Ali Taleb def. Jalal Al Daaja via KO (punch): R1, 2:18
Featherweight Semifinal: Islam Reda def. Marouane Bellagouit via unanimous decision
Bantamweight Semifinal: Rachid El Hazoume def. Elias Boudegzdame via unanimous decision
Lightweight Semifinal: Georges Eid def. Omar Reguigui via TKO (punches): R1, 1:39
Amateur Flyweight Showcase: Malik Basahel def. Saher Qasmieh via unanimous decision
Featherweight Showcase: Adam Meskini def. Yazeed Hasanain via split decision
PFL MENA athlete Omar El Dafrawy has been making an impact in the nation of Egypt in growing the…
PFL MENA athlete Omar El Dafrawy has been making an impact in the nation of Egypt in growing the sport of MMA at the core level. On Friday, September 19, he will be competing in the Semi-finals of the PFL MENA welterweight tournament.
Omar El Dafrawy on Egyptian MMA
Whether it’s Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, Taekwondo, or Karate, the nation of Egypt has a rich history in combat sports and has collected dozens of Olympic medals. MMA is a natural step for the people of the nation but it still needs a push. Omar El Dafrawy and his gym Fitbox are looking to make an impact.
In an exclusive interview with Tim Wheaton of LowKickMMA, El Dafrawy explained:
“A lot of people are transitioning, but we need more high-profile coaches to guide them through that. We have strong bases in boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, and judo, with Olympians and gold medalists. When the right people who genuinely care about the sport get involved, things will continue to change. I’ve seen it happening, especially as I’ve traveled and invested in myself as an athlete … We’re seeing more and more Egyptians making waves.”
Combat sports is booming in Egypt, and MMA is right at the forefront, he added:
“There are a lot of high benchmarks being set. I think I’ve restructured the sport back home. My background is academic, and people saw that the sport is for everyone, not just those with tough upbringings. They saw that you can be educated—I have a bachelor’s degree—and still be a full-time fighter. There’s a huge gap in the market for education on training and preparation, but that’s what I’m trying to deliver through Fitbox. As for numbers, MMA is booming. There are at least 20 promotions back home, with more popping up. For example, the national kickboxing tournament has 800 fights over two days, just with kids.”
PFL MENA 3
Upcoming at PFL MENA 3, on September 20, El Dafrawy is looking to build on his impressive win streak and advance to the PFL MENA finals later this year. But standing in his way is the experienced Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi. On this matchup, the Egyptian MMA athlete explained:
“I’ve studied my opponent, and I feel confident that I can knock out Jarrah.”
YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul will soon be competing in MMA in the PFL but still has yet to have an opponent picked. Omar El Dafrawy is throwing his name in the mix whether it be under boxing or MMA rules. Omar El Dafrawy said:
“I want to punch him in the boxing ring first! But seriously, I like what he’s been doing. He’s calling out the people who don’t treat fighters well, like Dana White. That’s why I chose PFL. It’s about building myself and having financial security. PFL gives fighters the freedom to box if they want and respects the fighters. That’s what the sport needs—promotions that understand fighters.”
See the full interview with Omar El Dafrawy below:
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PFL MENA athlete Omar El Dafrawy has been making an impact in the nation of Egypt in growing the…