Top Reasons to Catch PFL MENA 3

All eyes have been on Mohammad Alaqraa since the Professional Fighters League unveiled its plans to venture into the Middle East and North Africa.

The American Kickboxing Academy prospect will put his undefeated record on the line when he faces Amir Fazli in one of two PFL MENA 3 welterweight semifinals on Friday at the PFL MENA Studio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. To the victor goes a spot in the $100,000 final. Alaqraa enters his latest assignment having posted six consecutive victories to start his career. He last appeared in July, when he disposed of Youcef Ouabbas with punches in the third round of their 170-pound quarterfinal. Fazli, meanwhile, backed into the semifinals as a short-notice injury replacement for Badreddine Diani—a man who defeated him by three-round unanimous decision at PFL MENA 2. The setback snapped his four-fight winning streak. Fazli operates out of a Tristar Gym affiliate in Lebanon.

In the other welterweight semifinal, former Brave Combat Federation champion Jarrah Al-Silawi locks horns with the resurgent Omar El Dafrawy. The thought of vying for a six-figure payday looms large for both men. Al-Silawy climbs into the cage on the strength of back-to-back wins. The 32-year-old Jordanian last competed on July 12, when he disposed of Rayan Atmani with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their quarterfinal. It was Al-Silawi’s first successfully executed submission in more than six years. On the other side of the equation, El Dafrawy has rattled off five consecutive victories. He punched his ticket to the 170-pound semifinals with a three-round unanimous decision over Anthony Zeidan at PFL MENA 2. El Dafrawy, 29, trains out of the Soma Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia.

In addition to the welterweight semifinals, here are three other reasons to catch PFL MENA 3:

All Systems Go

Abdullah Al-Qahtani has taken the PFL ball and run with it, enough so that he finds himself atop the bill. “The Reaper” looks to extend his four-fight winning streak in the main event, where he takes on Abdalrahman Alhyasat in one of two featherweight semifinals. Al-Qahtani has finished three of his four opponents during his current tear. The Riyadh Combat Club rep last saw action at PFL MENA 1, where he punched Yazeed Hasanain into submission in the second round of their quarterfinal. Alhyasat, meanwhile, has won all four of his bouts by decision. The Jordanian “Cobra” made his PFL debut on May 10, when he outpointed Ahmed Tarek to a unanimous verdict and moved into the semifinals. The once-beaten Islam Reda squares off with the undefeated Maraoune Bellagouit in the other 145-pound semifinal.

Veteran Craft

As the most experienced fighter on the card, expectations are undoubtedly high for Elias Boudegzdame ahead of his clash with Rachid El Hazoume in the bantamweight semifinals. Boudegzdame has a clearly defined mode of operation, as 16 of his 19 career victories have come by submission—eight of them by triangle choke. The LaBonne Ecole product last strapped on the gloves at PFL MENA 1, where he rebounded from a decision defeat to the well-regarded Demarte Pena by dispatching Hassan Mandour with a second-round guillotine choke. On the other side of the docket, El Hazoume has posted six wins across his past seven outings. The Phuket Fight Club-trained Moroccan advanced to the bantamweight semifinals with a second-round rear-naked choke submission of Xavier Alaoui on May 10. Jalal Al Daaja and Ali Taleb collide in the other 135-pound semifinal.

Killer Crossover

Mohsen Mohammadseifi has all the credentials. A five-time gold medalist in sanda at the World Wushu Championships, the 35-year-old Iranian marches into his lightweight semifinal against Souhil Tahiri with the fuel of a five-fight winning streak in his tanks. Mohammadseifi needed a little more than three minutes to put away Josh Togo in his July 12 quarterfinal opposite Josh Togo. It was his fourth first-round finish. Tahiri, meanwhile, has recorded consecutive victories since his February 2023 decision loss to Mohammad Yahya in a failed attempt to capture gold in the UAE Warriors promotion. The Marseille Fight Club standout last fought at PFL MENA 2, where he was awarded a unanimous verdict over Ahmed Amir. Georges Eid and the unbeaten Omar Reguigui toe the line against one another in the other 155-pound semifinal.