Mohammad Al Aqraa will step into the spotlight for the first time in more than 18 months when he takes on Youcef Ouabbas in the welterweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Mena 2 in Riyadh on Friday.
Al Aqraa was last seen in action at the UAE Warriors 40 in Abu Dhabi on March 2023. The California-based Kuwaiti is undefeated in five professional fights and takes on Ouabbas, the Algerian fighting out of France, who is also undefeated in three appearances.
It will be an interesting contest to see who keeps their unblemished record intact in the co-main event in the 11-fight card headlined by the middleweight clash between Rashed Neda and Abdel Rahmane Driai.
Al Aqraa trains at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) under long-time head coach Javier Mendez and former UFC champion Cain Velasquez. He also has trained with former UFC middleweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and said it was an “honour” to sign up with PFL.
“They did a really good thing with PFL Mena to put all the best Middle East fighters in one tournament to find out who is the best out of the lot,” Al Aqraa told The National.
“So, it's nice. It’s really cool. I'm so happy to be there, to be part of this amazing thing.”
Having started his combat sports journey in judo and kickboxing in Kuwait, Al Aqraa moved full time to MMA after joining AKA in 2017 at age 17.
There, he was pushed into the deep end straightaway to face Nurmagomedov and the current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
“In my mind, I do believe iron sharpens iron,” he said of his training with arguably two of the best MMA fighters of the past decade.
“When you surround yourself with good environments, good people who push you to your limit, this is so important.
“I have to keep improving. I do believe you don't stop training when you don't have a fight. My last fight was a year-and-a-half ago, but I never really stopped training. It is like, every day is like I have a fight.”
Al Aqraa believes PFL Mena offers him a chance to prove that he is the best mixed martial artist in the Middle East.
“When they trying to find me a fight, they couldn't,” he pointed out. “When PFL came in, my coach Javier was like, 'this is the best thing for you'. He has been always telling me that ‘you are the best fighter in the Middle East’ but no one actually knows that.
“No one is going to believe it until they see it in the ring or the cage. So, when I saw PFL Mena, I was like, this is my time to shine.
“That's why I signed with them because the fights are already set. You have a fight right now. When you finish this fight, you go to another one, then a third. At least I'm going to have three fights this year, which is amazing.”
Al Aqraa said training with the likes of Nurmagomedov and Makhachev has instilled in him an unshakable discipline and given him an insight on what it takes to be the best.
“Khabib doesn't know anything about mercy. He doesn't know what stop means. He doesn’t understand it," Al Aqraa said. "I think he pushed us so hard that we are that close to passing out. I'm not even kidding about that.
“I think he goes this hard on us because he cares about us. We’re learning it from him every day. And whenever I have a question, I text him and at the same time he answers and he helps me. Because if I have a question about grappling, who should I ask other than the best in the world?"
On sparring with Makhachev, he added: “You learn a lot from Islam especially because he's the most well-rounded fighter in the world or in the history of this sport, to be honest.
“I used to follow him when he was a UFC contender, he wasn’t a champion at that time and I saw him becoming a champion. It's like when you believe something and you see it with your own eyes, it's different.
“It's not like some guy who just achieved this goal. It’s your friend who achieved his goal. You have seen him while he was growing up and becoming a champion.
“I remember when he became a champion, that day I didn't sleep. I was just smiling the whole time. ‘He made it. I will make it’ was my thought. I was so happy for him.
“Many things I can take from him, Islam and these top guys, they know all the smallest details because they're the best. I'm so happy I'm surrounded by them.”
Al Aqraa left his home for the US at age 17 to study – he graduated in industrial system engineering from San Jose State University last year – and pursue his MMA career full time.
He made his MMA amateur debut in the West Coast Elite 3 and Dragon House 32, winning both his fights in California.
Al Aqraa made a winning start against Mexican Rodrigo Reyes in his first professional appearance in the Ultimate Warrior Challenge in February 2021 before stretching his winning streak to five after four appearances in the UAE Warriors in Abu Dhabi from February 2022 to July 2023.
“I’m grateful to UAE Warriors for providing me the platform. The PFL Mena for the regional fighters is a big thing,” he added.
“I do believe Arabs and the Middle East, we have really big talents, but you just need to put the lights on them.”
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Key findings of Jenkins report
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- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
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Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
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Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
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Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
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Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
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Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
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Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
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Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
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US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
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High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
