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The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced that PFL Mena: Pride of Arabia, the 2026 PFL Mena season opener will take place on May 24, Sunday, live from Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
The upcoming event will showcase elite athletes hailing from eleven different nations across the Middle East and North Africa, reflecting the incredible breadth, talent, and diversity of mixed martial arts in the region. This gathering of fighters not only underscores the unifying power of the sport but also highlights the rapid growth and rising prominence of MMA across multiple countries.
Headlining the event, the UAE’s Mohammad “The UAE Warrior” Yahya (12-6) makes his PFL debut against Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi (6-2) in a Featherweight Quarter-final bout.
Yahya enters as one of the region’s most established fighters and returns to compete on home soil in a key main event opportunity.
Meanwhile, Saadi brings a balanced skill set and momentum into the match-up. Both fighters will look to secure a place in the next round of the PFL MENA Featherweight Tournament.
In the co-main event, Morocco’s Salah “Supersalah” Eddine Hamli (11-0) faces Algeria’s Ylies “Broly” Djiroun (24-9) in a lightweight bout.
Hamli enters the tournament undefeated following a dominant championship run last season, where he established himself as one of the region’s top lightweight finishers. Djiroun, meanwhile, brings veteran experience and a well-rounded skill set, having competed across multiple international promotions.
The card will also feature the highly-anticipated debut of rising Emirati MMA star Zamzam Al Hammadi.
The 18-year old Al Hammadi signed with PFL Mena last year, bringing with her championships in MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
“Dubai is a key market for PFL Mena and a global hub for sport and entertainment, making it the ideal stage for our 2026 season opener, aptly titled ‘Pride of Arabia,’” said Jerome Mazet, General Manager of PFL Mena.
“Dubai has consistently shown its passion for MMA, and we are excited to bring local stars like Mohammad Yahya and Zamzam Al Hammadi to perform in front of a home crowd. As the beating heart of sport and entertainment in the Arab world, Dubai offers a truly unique atmosphere, with athletes representing multiple nations, we know fans from across the region will be in the arena to support their own. There’s no city that connects cultures, fans and fighters quite like Dubai.”
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global mixed martial arts organization and one of the world’s leading combat sports properties. PFL produces live, premium MMA events broadcast and streamed to fans in more than 170 countries through an extensive network of international media partners.
The organization features a roster of professional fighters representing the highest levels of international mixed martial arts competition.
Headquartered in the US, PFL holds events across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with continued global expansion underway.
PFL is backed by leading institutional investors and professional sports team owners, reflecting the accelerating growth of MMA as a mainstream global sport.
