DUBAI: The official weigh-ins for “PFL MENA: Pride of Arabia” were completed on Saturday night ahead of the event that will take place Sunday night at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
In the main event, the UAE’s Mohammad Yahya and Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi both successfully made weight ahead of their featherweight tournament quarterfinal bout. Yahya, who weighed in at 145.8 pounds, enters the matchup competing in front of a home crowd as he makes his PFL debut. Saadi, who weighed in at 145.6 pounds, looks to continue his momentum and secure a place in the next round of the tournament.
“Fighting in front of the UAE fans gives me extra motivation,” said Yahya. “I feel the responsibility to deliver a strong performance and make the home crowd proud.”
Saadi added: “I respect every opponent, but the crowd and location do not affect me. I came to Dubai for one thing only — to win.”
The co-main event is also locked in as Morocco’s undefeated Salah Eddine Hamli and Algeria’s Ylies Djiroun both stepped on the scale for their lightweight tournament quarterfinal matchup. Hamli, who weighed in at 154.8 pounds, enters following his dominant 2025 championship campaign. Djiroun, meanwhile, weighed in at 155.2 pounds and brings veteran experience into one of the most anticipated fights of the opening round.
“I want to continue my winning streak and prove that I belong among the top names in the lightweight division,” said Hamli. “I’m ready for another big challenge.”
Djiroun added: “This fight is a huge opportunity for me to prove myself against one of the top fighters in the division. I’m ready to show what I can do.”
Also official for Sunday night is the highly anticipated debut of rising Emirati prospect Zamzam Al Hammadi, who successfully made weight at 113.4 pounds for her women’s strawweight amateur showcase bout. The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the UAE’s most promising young martial artists following championship success in both MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She faces Abeer Mansour, who weighed in at 114.8 pounds.
“I’m excited to make my debut in this championship in front of the UAE fans,” said Al Hammadi. “This is a very important moment in my career, and I want to prove myself on this stage.”
Mansour added: “I’m used to these kinds of challenges. I came to Dubai focused and determined to leave with the victory.”
2024 PFL MENA lightweight finalist Georges Eid and opponent Zakaria Bichi both missed weight for their bout. As a result, their bout has been scrapped, and the bout between Basel Shalaan and Abdullah Saleem will now be a lightweight tournament quarterfinal bout, making this a 10-bout fight card.
“We are proud to bring the PFL MENA season back in such a strong way through ‘Pride of Arabia’ here in Dubai,” said Jerome Mazet, general manager of PFL MENA. “This event reflects the rapid growth of mixed martial arts across the Middle East and North Africa, and the rising level of Arab talent competing on the international stage. We expect a memorable night for the fans and a showcase of the region’s best fighters.”
