Riyadh, May 12, 2024, The Professional Fighters League (PFL) tournament took place in Riyadh for the first time on May 10, marking its inaugural presence in an Arab country and the Middle East region.
Eight fighters from six Middle East and North Africa countries qualified for the semi-finals.
In the featherweight category, Saudi fighter Abdullah Al Qahtani secured a place in the semi-finals by defeating Jordanian fighter Yazeed Hasanain who surrendered. Jordanian fighter Abdelrahman Alhyasat also advanced after defeating Egyptian Ahmed Tarek. Egyptian fighter Islam Reda emerged victorious over Moroccan fighter Adam Meskini, while Moroccan fighter Marouane Bellagouit secured a win over Egyptian fighter Mido Mohamed.
In the upcoming matches, Al Qahtani will face Alhyasat, and Reda will compete against Bellagouit.
In the bantamweight category, Iraqi fighter Ali Taleb triumphed over Jordanian fighter Nawras Abzakh. Jalal Al Daaja defeated Sudanese fighter Tariq Ismail, and Moroccan fighter Rachid El Hazoume emerged victorious over compatriot Xavier Alaoui. Algerian fighter Elias Boudegzdame defeated Egyptian fighter Hassan Mandour.
In the semi-finals, Al Daaja will face El Hazoume, while Taleb will fight against Boudegzdame.
In the atomweight category for women, Saudi fighter Hattan Alsaif emerged victorious over Egyptian fighter Nada Faheem.
The upcoming elimination matches are scheduled to take place in Jeddah in July, while Riyadh will host the final matches in November.
