Saudi MMA fighter Abdullah Al Qahtani headlines inaugural PFL Mena event in Riyadh

Hattan Al Saif, the first female fighter from kingdom to sign a major MMA contract, set for her debut

Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al Qahtani will compete in the inaugural PFL Mena event next month in Riyadh. Photo: PFL

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) will launch its inaugural PFL Mena event next month in Riyadh, with home favourite Abdullah Al Qahtani headlining.

The new regional mixed martial arts league, announced earlier this year, will take place on May 10 in the Saudi Arabian capital at The Green Halls, and comprises of athletes from featherweight and bantamweight divisions. The fighters will compete in the traditional, play-off-win-and-advance PFL format.

The first Saudi to sign with the PFL, Al Qahtani tops the bill, where he will face off against fellow featherweight Taha Benaoud of Morocco. Al Qahtani last fought in February, at the promotion’s first event in Saudi, entitled “PFL Champions vs Bellator Champions”.

There, he registered a third-round TKO victory against India's Edukondala Rao, marking Al Qahtani’s third successive win since joining the PFL. The Riyadh-born athlete’s professional record stands 8-1-0.

Elsewhere, Hattan Al Saif, the first female fighter from Saudi Arabia to sign a contract with a leading global MMA promotion, will debut. Al Saif takes on Egyptian Nada Faheem in an amateur female atomweight bout.

"PFL Mena: Riyadh" will represent the first of four events taking place in the league this year, with the others, yet to be confirmed, to be staged “across key markets” in the Middle East.

Hattan Alsaif is the first female Saudi fighter to sign for a major MMA promotion. Photo: Hattan Alsaif

PFL Mena, the company’s second international league after the launch last year of PFL Europe, is designed to promote the region’s top fighters, while also providing a pathway to compete in the PFL globally.

Last August, the PFL signed an investment agreement with SRJ Sports Investments, an entity owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. As part of the partnership, SRJ acquired a minority equity ownership in the PFL, and became an investor in PFL Mena.

In a statement released on Thursday, PFL CEO Pete Murray said: "PFL is all about creating opportunities, and we're proud to offer fighters in the Mena region a chance to compete. With its talented athletes, Mena is a perfect fit for PFL's season format, giving fighters a big stage to showcase their skills.

"By bringing top-tier events to the region, we're not only serving passionate MMA fans but also pushing the sport forward. Our goal is to grow MMA and expand PFL's reach globally, and working with SRJ Sports to build PFL Mena has been incredibly rewarding."

Danny Townsend, CEO at SRJ Sports Investments, added in the release: “The launch of PFL Mena is another massive moment for sport in this region and we are thrilled to have played our part in making it happen.

"As SRJ, we’re aiming to redefine the landscape of international sport in a way that brings more and more opportunities to Middle Eastern sport and young talent and grows our shared sporting ecosystem.

"PFL Mena will do just that, with 'PFL Mena: Riyadh' launching the perfect global platform to showcase the trailblazing talent coming from this part of the world.”

All four PFL Mena Season events will be live on MBC Action and on Shahid, the leading streaming platform in the Mena region. The PFL Global Season, PFL Europe, the Bellator Champions Series and PFL’s Pay-Per-View Superfight Division events will be available to watch on the Saudi Sports Company SSC via Shahid’s VIP + Sports package. Highlights can also be seen on MBC Action, Shahid & SSC.