5 Things You Might Not Know About Ali Taleb

The Professional Fighters League stretched its reach into the Middle East and North Africa with competitors like Ali Taleb in mind.

A six-figure payday now in sight, Taleb will square off with Jalal Al Daja in a PFL MENA 3 bantamweight semifinal this Friday at the PFL MENA Studio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He enters the cage with a sparkling 10-1 record, having secured eight of his 10 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Taleb last saw action at PFL MENA 1, where he took a three-round unanimous decision from Nawras Abzakh in their May 10 quarterfinal and improved to 2-0 in his head-to-head series with the Jordanian.

As Taleb moves ever closer to his looming showdown with Al Daja at 135 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He separated himself at the start.

Taleb made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 21 and immediately established himself as a force to be reckoned with, as he prompted a third-round doctor stoppage against Shoeb Karar Akrami at a Fight Club Rush show on Aug. 31, 2019. He went on to win his first nine fights, eight of them finishes.

2. A strong strength of schedule fueled his rise.

The 26-year-old built an impressive resume prior to his entry in the PFL MENA field. Taleb owns victories over current Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Vinicius Oliveira and Kenji Bortoluzzi, a man who has captured titles in the Respect Fighting Championship, Swiss MMA Championship and West Side Fighting Challenge organizations.

3. Gold enhances his stock portfolio.

Taleb still holds the UAE Warriors bantamweight crown. He laid claim to the 135-pound championship on July 2, 2022, when he put away the aforementioned Oliveira with punches in the third round of their UAE Warriors 30 co-main event. Taleb owns a perfect 5-0 record in the United Arab Emirates-based promotion.

4. He sought out the right handlers.

A Swede with Iraqi lineage, Taleb operates out of the Redline Training Center in Malmo, Sweden. There, he sharpens his skills under Akira Corassani—a semifinalist on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series who went 3-3 during a six-fight run in the UFC before retiring in 2015. Former Superior Challenge titleholder Lina Lansberg trains out of the same gym.

5. A test run appears to have benefited him.

Taleb was familiar with the Professional Fighters League prior to its inaugural PFL MENA season. He competed in the company’s first PFL Europe campaign in 2023, as he disposed of Bortoluzzi with punches in his promotional debut before dropping a unanimous decision to eventual bantamweight champion Khurshed Kakhorov in the 135-pound semifinals.