‘This is My City’: Fighter Abdulaziz bin Moammar eyes success in front of hometown fans in Riyadh

RIYADH: When Abdulaziz bin Moammar steps inside the world-famous Professional Fighters League SmartCage at PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh on July 4, it will not be just another fight for him.

The amateur standout will be competing in front of a hometown crowd for the first time and he is looking forward to the landmark experience.

“Fighting in Riyadh isn’t just another bout, it’s a responsibility,” he said of his clash with Hassan Ahmed of Egypt at the Green Halls. “This is my city, this is where I grew up, and my real fans are here.”

Bin Moammar expects to feed off the unique energy that will be generated by that hometown crowd on fight night.

“Competing in front of (local fans) gives me a different kind of energy, so there’s no room for hesitation or retreat,” he added.

A dangerous grappler with a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and combat sambo, the fighter used his elite ground game to emerge victorious against Fares Hamdani from Algeria at PFL MENA 1 in Jeddah in May. It marked a successful start to his amateur MMA career, and he said the debut win helped boost his confidence and determination.

“That fight in Jeddah was an important first step,” bin Moammar said. “It gave me confidence. The win sparked a deep drive in me to continue.”

With his maiden PFL win in the books he is now looking ahead to another tough test, his showdown on Friday with the dangerous Ahmed, who has a 3-1 amateur record.

“Now, in Riyadh, the challenge is bigger and the expectations are higher,” bin Moammar said.

He revealed that to ensure he is at his fighting peak, he has had to make some difficult sacrifices for his training regimen.

“I’m in an intense local training camp in Riyadh, fully dedicating my time to preparation,” he said.

“It