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| (Image Source: Professional Fighters League) |
Professional Fighters League (PFL), in partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)'s Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF), officially announced the complete full card for the 2024 PFL MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Championships which is set to take place on November 29, 2024 at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All the PFL MENA Championship action can be seen live on PFL's exclusive Middle East broadcast partner MBC as well as the league's digital and broadcast partners worldwide including Setanta Sports in the Philippines starting at 2:30 pm GMT/9:30 am EST (9:30 pm PHT/SGT/HKT). Tickets for this massive night of Championship action are on sale now via webook.com.
PFL MENA’s inaugural season has reached its conclusion and four champions will be crowned in the Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions. Since its inception, PFL MENA has been creating a pathway for athletes from the regions of Middle East and North Africa to compete in the PFL Global Season. The main event of the evening will see the PFL MENA Featherweight Championship on the line when Jordan’s Abdalrahman Alhyasat (5-0) takes on Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2). In the co-main event, the PFL MENA Welterweight Championship will be decided between Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) and Egypt’s Omar El Dafrawy (12-6). At 135-pounds, Iraq’s Ali Taleb (11-1) meets Morocco's Rachid El Hazoume (15-3) for the PFL MENA Bantamweight title, while the PFL MENA Lightweight Championship will be contested between Iran’s Mohsen Mohammadseifi(6-2) and Lebanon’s Georges Eid (10-4). All Championship bouts at PFL MENA will be five, five-minute rounds, and for the first time in the history of the PFL Championships, the rule set will now allow elbows.
In addition to the Championship fights, undefeated Saudi Arabian star Hattan Alsaif will be in action against Algeria’s Lilia Osmani. There will also be five showcase bouts taking place during the must-see event when former Bellator World Grand Prix participant Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) faces England’s Alfie Davis (17-4-1), undefeated heavyweights collide when Tunisia’s Slim Trabelsi (7-0) battles England’s Abraham Bably (5-0). At 145-pounds, 2023 PFL Featherweight titlist Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) will face former Bellator Featherweight contender Jeremy Kennedy (19-4), and France’s Asael Adjoudj (8-1) tangles with USA’s Jose Perez (9-1). Opening the card will be a middleweight showcase pitting Costello van Steenis (15-3) versus Brazil’s Joao Dantas (7-1). Here is the complete full card for the inaugural PFL MENA Championships:
• PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2)
• PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6)
• Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani
• PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3)
• PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1) vs. Georges Eid (10-4)
Showcase Fights:
• Lightweight MENA Showcase: Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1)
• Heavyweight MENA Showcase: Slim Trabelsi (7-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-0)
• Featherweight Global Showcase: Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (19-4)
• Featherweight Global Showcase: Asael Adjoudj (8-1) vs. Jose Perez (9-1)
• Middleweight Global Showcase: Costello van Steenis (15-3) vs. Joao Dantas (7-1)
PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is available on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
