Mohammad Yahya lost a split decision to Mehdi Saadi in the feature bout as the PFL kicked off its Mena season in Dubai, while Emirati teen Zamzam Al Hammadi marked her organisational debut with a win.
"UAE Warrior" Yahya had told fans to expect "fireworks", and he was true to his word as he went toe-to-toe with Saadi in three brutal rounds. The Tunisian was given the nod on two of the judges' scorecards at the end of the featherweight contest.
Saadi was ecstatic to have his hand raised by the referee: “It’s difficult to describe this sensation. Yahya was a very tough opponent, so I feel amazing to have come out victorious and I’m proud of my performance.”
In another featherweight tournament quarterfinal, Hamza Kooheji controlled the contest against Taha Bendaoud in a pivotal opening-round clash.
Kooheji, who won via unanimous decision, said: “I dominated the whole fight, so was confident when it went to the judges' decision. I was very effective with my takedowns and happy with my performance. I can’t wait for the PFL semi-final.”
The co-main event featured a lightweight tournament quarter-final between Morocco’s Salah Eddine Hamli and Algeria’s Ylies Djiroun.
The Moroccan pressed in the clinch but met unrelenting power as Djiroun landed a combination of punches to the head and body to earn a first-round TKO.
Dijroun said: “I didn't have any real game plan, I just wanted to push him. And I knew if I pushed him on his cardio, my fitness would outlast him. I realised after the first situation on the ground, if we stand up, it's finished for him.”
Joining Dijroun in the PFL Mena lightweight tournament semi-finals is Mohammad Fahmi, who advanced after his scheduled opponent, Assem Ghanem, dropped out due to an injury. Ahmed El Sisy took a hard-earned win over Harda Karim, while Basel Shalaan took a close decision victory over Abdullah Saleem.
Rising Emirati prospect Al Hammadi made her highly anticipated PFL Mena debut in the women’s strawweight amateur showcase against Abeer Mansour and earned a hard-fought decision.
The 18-year-old was delighted to triumph in front of a home crowd in Dubai: “It was fantastic fighting in front of my mum for the first time. I saw my shadow as I walked out and was astonished by the amount of support I had at the Coca-Cola Arena. I can’t wait to get back in the Smartcage again in the PFL and hopefully I can get another victory.”
