2024 PFL MENA Welterweight Champion Omar El Dafrawy needed less than a round to submit Daniele Miceli in the main event of PFL MENA Riyadh

Saudi’s own Hattan Alsaif dominated Nour Al Fliti to score an impressive TKO win and remain undefeated in MMA career

The PFL MENA Welterweight and Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals are set following an incredible night of Quarterfinal bouts

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (4 JULY, 2025) – PFL MENA heads to the Semifinals after another exciting night of fights at The Green Halls, with incredible performances from the best fighters in the Middle East.

2024 PFL MENA Welterweight Champion Omar El Dafrawy (14-5) sent the fans home happy with a phenomenal first-round submission win over Daniele Miceli (13-7, 1 NC) in their Welterweight Showcase main event bout. Miceli scored an early takedown but found himself trapped inside a deep triangle choke from El Dafrawy. Miceli tried to escape, but El Dafrawy held on and forced the tap at the 1:15 mark of the opening round.

In the co-main event, 2024 PFL Welterweight Runner-up Mohammad Alaqraa (8-1) was relentless as he put the pressure on Omar Hussein (11-7) for nearly all three rounds and earned a clear-cut unanimous decision win and advanced in the PFL MENA Welterweight Tournament. Alaqraa turned in a well-rounded performance to earn a 30-27 score from all the judges and book a return trip to the Semifinals.

Saudi women’s MMA pioneer Hattan Alsaif (4-0 AM) thrilled the crowd in Riyadh once again as she stopped Nour Al Fliti (1-2 AM) by TKO at the 2:24 mark of the second round of their Atomweight Amateur Showcase bout. Alsaif, who had the support of the hometown crowd, punished Al Fliti with knees and kicks, ultimately leading to the injury stoppage.

In an all-out war that saw moments of wild striking and masterful grappling, Mohamed Zarey(10-1) pulled off a unanimous decision victory over Ayman Galal (4-2, 1 NC) to reach the Semifinals of the PFL MENA Welterweight Tournament. Zarey weathered an early storm from Galal in the first round to pick up the big win in his PFL debut. Zarey will face 2024 runner up Mohammad Alaqraa next.

Xavier Alaoui (16-6) wrestled his way to a unanimous decision win over Ziad Ayman (6-2) to move into the PFL MENA Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals. Alaoui, who trains alongside MMA legend Georges St-Pierre at the Tristar Gym in Montreal, controlled the fight with his high-level grappling, and earned a 30-27 score from all three judges.

57 seconds was all Mokhtar Benkaci (25-9, 2 NC) needed to finish off Marcel Adur (19-8-1) by TKO in the opening round. A left hand to the body led to the stoppage win for Benkaci, who advanced to the Semifinals of the PFL MENA Bantamweight Tournament.

In an exciting bout that went the three-round distance, Badreddine Diani (9-3) earned a unanimous decision victory over Ahmed Abdelbast Darwish (4-1) to return to the PFL MENA Welterweight Tournament Semifinals. Diani was one step ahead of Darwish all throughout the fight and did enough to earn the 29-28 nod on all of the judges’ scorecards.

Wushu Sanda World Champion Amir Fazli (7-3) landed a well-placed right hand to knock out Rostem Akman (7-4) at the 1:34 mark of the second round. Fazli clinches a spot in the PFL MENA Welterweight Tournament Semifinals, where he’ll meet Badreddine Diani in a rematch from last season.

Former UAE Warriors and Desert Force Champion Nawras Abzakh (13-6) moves one step closer to adding a PFL Championship to his resume with a second round KO win over Ali Yazbeck (5-1-1) to advance in the PFL MENA Bantamweight Tournament. Abzakh dropped Yazbeck with a flurry of punches before ending things with thunderous ground and pound, 50 seconds into the second frame. He will face Mokhtar Benkaci in the Semifinals.

Islam Youssef (6-2) stepped in on short notice and scored a massive second round KO win, putting Benyamin Ghahreman (3-1) to sleep with a flying knee at the 3:55 mark to advance to the PFL MENA Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals, where he’ll face Xavier Alaoui.

Finally, in the opening bout of the night, Abdelrahman Alhyasat (6-0) was dominant in his move up to 155 pounds, submitting Anthony Zeidan (5-3) by rear naked choke at 2:50 of the second round to remain undefeated in his MMA career.

PFL MENA Riyadh – RESULTS

Showcase Welterweight Bout:
Omar El Dafrawy (14-5) def. Daniele Miceli (13-7, 1 NC) by first-round submission (triangle choke) at 1:15

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Mohammad Alaqraa (8-1) def. Omar Hussein (11-7) by unanimous decision (30-27×3)

Atomweight Amateur Showcase Bout:
Hattan Alsaif (4-0 AM) def. Nour Al Fliti (1-2 AM) by second round TKO at 2:24

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Mohamed Zarey (10-1) def. Ayman Galal (4-2, 1 NC) by unanimous decision (29-28×3)

Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Xavier Alaoui (16-6) def. Ziad Ayman (6-2) by unanimous decision (30-27×3)

Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Mokhtar Benkaci (25-9, 2 NC) def. Marcel Adur (19-8-1) by first round TKO at 0:57

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Badreddine Diani (9-3) def. Ahmed Abdelbast Darwish (4-1) by unanimous decision (29-28×3)

Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Amir Fazli (7-3) def. Rostem Akman (7-4) by second round KO at 1:34.

Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Nawras Abzakh (13-6) def. Ali Yazbeck (5-1-1) by second round KO at 0:50

Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal:
Islam Youssef (6-2) def. Benyamin Ghahreman (3-1) by second round KO at 3:55

Lightweight Showcase Bout:
Abdelrahman Alhyasat (6-0) def. Anthony Zeidan (5-3) by second round submission (rear naked choke) at 2:50
 

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ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league world-wide. PFL is the only MMA organization with the “win and advance” tournament format. PFL has three fight products: PFL World Tournament, PFL Champions Series, and PFL International Leagues. PFL is broadcast and streamed live to 190 countries with 20 leading media partners. PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, 885 Capital, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth and global sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.
 

ABOUT PFL MENA
PFL MENA is a regional league launched by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in partnership with SURJ Sports Investment. Headquartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, PFL MENA features the top Mixed Martial Arts fighters from the Middle East and North Africa, competing in the PFL’s distinctive “win and advance” season format. All events are staged live in the region and produced to world-class standards.

PFL MENA’s exclusive broadcast partner is STARZPLAY, the leading subscription video-on-demand service in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. With over 2.5 million subscribers and 18 million app downloads, STARZPLAY delivers a rich mix of Hollywood blockbusters, Arabic and Turkish dramas, original productions, and elite live sports, including Italian Serie A, football, cricket, and PFL.

PFLMENA.com; Instagram (@PFLMENA); Twitter (@PFLMENA); Facebook (/PFLMENA)