When one door shuts, another one opens. For Mohammad Yahya, the metaphor rings true.
Yahya, the poster boy for UAE mixed martial arts, was let go by the UFC last summer following the conclusion of a three-fight deal. The first Emirati to sign for the world’s lead MMA promotion, his time at the UFC coincided with a run of results that saw him lose all three contests.
While that chapter of his life has closed, a new one is about to begin after signing on with the PFL, the rival organisation looking to give regional fighters a platform to showcase their skills on the big stage.
The 31-year-old will compete at the 2026 PFL Mena event taking place in Saudi Arabia on May 8. The winner of the eight-man tournament will be crowned regional featherweight champion.
On signing with the PFL, Yahya told The National: “It was just a great opportunity. I'm really happy to fight for the PFL because they really look after the fighters. This will be my first tournament, so I'm excited for that. Seems like it will be a lot of fun.”
And beyond that? “Maybe the PFL International title. First, I have to win this tournament, then we will see how it goes.”
It speaks to the strength of mixed martial arts that no one company has a monopoly on talent, even a behemoth like the UFC. The PFL is dedicated to showcasing the best international and regional fighters to a wider audience. It means Yahya’s dreams and ambitions can still become a reality.
That might not have been immediately apparent last summer, the last time Yayha stepped into the cage.
Ahead of his appearance at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, Yahya told The National he knew it was “make or break” for him. The result of his fight against Steven Nguyen would determine whether he would be offered another contract.
Things did not go Yahya’s way. In the first two rounds he was dropped six times – a UFC record – with five coming in the first. Though Yayha rallied in the second, landing a knockdown of his own, the fight was called off by the cageside doctor due a serious eye injury to the Emirati.
While fans were left thrilled by 10 minutes of mayhem, for Yahya, the future looked uncertain.
“The guy came in, he was really quick, quicker than I expected. His nickname is ‘The Ninja’, and I realised why straight away,” Yahya recalled.
“I did a mistake in the first five seconds of the fight; I went to kick him, and I was a bit close, and he landed straight down the middle. He dropped me, basically rocked me. So the first five seconds of the fight, I was on autopilot, like dizzy.
“I didn't even have all my senses until the second round. I recovered, and then I dropped him in the second, and I could have finished him, but I was still a bit dizzy. But I'd say he won the first round. The second round, I'd say, would be 50-50, I would say I dropped him and hurt him more in the second round. So I could have won the second round, but then the doctors didn't let us reach the third round, because of my eye.”
Now fully recovered, Yahya is once again ready to resume his MMA journey. He says there has been no drastic change in approach since the Nguyen defeat. “Just don’t get caught so early” was his main takeaway.
“I haven’t changed much,” he said. “We train at TK [MMA Fit] Gym in Dubai, we have one of the best [wrestling] coaches from Dagestan, the best striking coaches and [training] partners from all around the world.
"So every month there'll be new training partners, different types of levels. It's a really good place to test yourself. But, yeah, I've been working hard since then (the Nguyen defeat), still the same.”
One area Yahya has seen change is the landscape of MMA in the country. A pioneer who has fought for regional and international promotions, there were few options when he first started out.
He first joined a local dojo learning kung-fu around 15 years ago, before adding the strings of jiu-jitsu and kickboxing to his bow. Today, with the concentration of gyms and training facilities in Dubai alone on a par or exceeding most other major cities, many more are following in the Emirati’s footsteps.
“Since I first started, it’s changed a lot. The Rulers of UAE have really sponsored us and made really big opportunities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. And we have some of the biggest, best gyms right now. We have Khabib [Nurmagomedov’s] gym in Abu Dhabi, and we have all these events popping up for amateurs and young people.
"I wish I had those events when I was around that age. And obviously, we have the biggest events in the world here, so there are a lot of opportunities for up-and-coming fighters. And there are a few fighters right now doing very well, girls and boys.”
As a trailblazer for UAE MMA, does he feel any added pressure?
“Of course. Obviously, when you're representing the country, you always have pressure. But I'd say all the pressure’s out the window already after fighting three times in UFC. The pressure then was insane, but right now, it's more of just passion, and I'm just excited to fight.”
