‘More than I imagined’: Saudi’s Ahmed Makki, Malik Basahel bask in impressive PFL MENA wins at home

JEDDAH: The second season of PFL MENA got off to an exciting start at the weekend with wins for local favorites, and fighters in the featherweight and lightweight divisions advancing to the playoffs.

In the main event at the Onyx Arena, 2024 PFL lightweight champion Mohsen Mohammadseifi of Iran beat Egypt’s Ahmed El-Sisy by unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals.

Mohammadseifi leaned on his striking in the early rounds before shifting gears and showcasing his grappling in the final frame to seal the victory.

In the co-main event, PFL MENA newcomer Salah Eddine Hamli of Morocco clinched a spot in the lightweight semifinals with a slick third-round submission victory over Bahrain’s Abbas Khan.

Taha Bendaoud of Morocco needed just over two minutes to put away Boualem Drissi of Algeria by submission and secure his spot in the featherweight semifinals.

Malik Basahel of Saudi Arabia made a statement in his professional debut, scoring a second-round TKO win over Algeria’s Mountasser Boutouta in a showcase flyweight bout.

Basahel said: “I felt good in there during the fight, I trained hard and well for this fight with my team down at AVT Leeds, so I came in prepared and ready.

“There’s not much difference from amateur and pro, just probably the rules set and the extra two minutes in the round but a fight is still just a fight at the end of the day.”

He added: “I’m always going in a fight knowing I’m going to win, even if the first round is not going my way.

“I’m always confident I can turn the fight around if I have to, but for this fight I would say halfway through the first round I figured out the distance and what he wanted to do and managed to overcome that and get the win.”

Displaying sharp, well-rounded