'Emirati Warrior' Hadi Omar Al Hussaini on PFL debut and training with Cain Velasquez

Hadi Omar Al Hussaini’s rise through professional mixed martial arts has been rapid. Remarkable, too.

The Emirati, who took up MMA at university “by accident”, entered the paid ranks less than three years ago. He won his first two pro bouts, as a flyweight with UAE Warriors, and eventually went unbeaten through five fights in the Abu Dhabi-based promotion.

In between, Al Hussaini began training with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, UFC champions past and present. Nurmagomedov is considered one of the greatest to ever enter a cage, while current lightweight title-holder Makhachev appears to be charting a path towards that, as well.

All that time, Al Hussaini has honed his skills under the watchful eye of renowned coach Javier Mendez. He refers to the American now as his “mentor”.

To underscore the relationship, the Dubai-born athlete spent his most recent training camp at Mendez’s famed American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. There, he was coached by Cain Velasquez, a former UFC heavyweight champion of the world.

However, two weeks ago, Al Hussaini’s career took what feels another prodigious leap. Having returned in March from a year out with a dominant win in the Middle East Fighting Championship in Al Ain, he received a call from the Professional Fighters League (PFL), the No 2-ranked MMA promotion in the sport.

Al Hussaini, 5-0-1 as a pro, had a number of other offers but, after seeking Mendez’s counsel, promptly signed a multi-fight deal with the fast-growing organisation. He expects to debut this summer, when he will become the first from the UAE to compete in the PFL.

And from there, Al Hussaini says, the sky’s the limit.

“For me, it's like a dream, starting from a little kid that had no dreams,