Tunisia’s Saadi seals headline bout, UAE’s Zamzam delights home crowd at PFL Mena

DUBAI: Fans enjoyed a thrilling night of action featuring several local and regional fighters as the Professional Fighters League kicked off the 2026 PFL MENA season at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The UAE’s Mohammad Yahya faced Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi in the featherweight tournament’s main event,. Saadi opened the bout by landing heavy calf kicks, forcing MMA veteran Yahya to change stances. The hometown hero, “UAE Warrior,” responded with heavy straights to push his opponent back while the second round saw the two trade leg kicks, knees and punches in a close contest. Yahya stung with sharp punches to control round three before the split-decision loss.

Saadi was ecstatic to have his hand raised by the referee. He said: “It’s difficult to describe this sensation. Yahya was a very tough opponent so I feel amazing to have come out victorious and I’m proud of my performance.”

The co-main event featured a lightweight tournament quarterfinal between Morocco’s Salah Eddine Hamli and Algeria’s Ylies Djiroun. The Moroccan pressed in the clinch but met unrelenting power as Djiroun landed a combination of punches to the head and body which earned him a first round TKO. 

He said afterwards: “I didn’t have any real game plan; I just wanted to push him. And I knew if I pushed him on his cardio, my fitness would outlast him. I realized after the first situation on the ground, if we stand up, it’s finished for him.”

In another featherweight tournament quarterfinal, Hamza Kooheji controlled the contest against Taha Bendaoud in a pivotal opening-round clash. Kooheji, who won via unanimous decision, said: “I dominated the whole fight so was confident when it went to a judges’ decision. I was very effective with my takedowns and happy