RIYADH (Saudi Arabia) – July 4, 2025 – The Professional Fighters League (PFL) MENA 2 event delivered another electric night of action at The Green Halls in Riyadh, capped by a sensational first-round submission win by reigning welterweight champion Omar Al-Dafrawy.
Al-Dafrawy (Egypt) thrilled fans in the main event, locking in a textbook triangle choke to finish Italy’s Daniele Miceli just 1:15 into the opening round. It marked the Egyptian star’s third career victory via triangle choke and solidified his position as one of the most dangerous submission artists in the region.
“The plan is to fight the PFL Europe champion of 2024,” Al-Dafrawy told post-fight. “If he’s ready to come down here and grace the land, I’ll show.”
Boldly declaring himself the Arab world’s premier MMA superstar, Al-Dafrawy added: “No one has the skill set or hunger I have. I took six short-notice fights in Jeddah—all of them with over 15 wins. I’m dangerous, and I rise to the occasion.”
Local Hero Hattan Al-Saif Delivers Again In the amateur atomweight division, Saudi Arabia’s Hattan Al-Saif (4-0) kept her unbeaten record intact with a second-round TKO victory over Tunisia’s Nour Al-Fliti. Al-Saif controlled the action with powerful knees and kicks before the bout was stopped due to injury in Round 2, igniting cheers from the hometown crowd.
welterweight runner-up Mohammad Alaqraa returned to form with a dominant unanimous decision win over Omar Hussein, securing a clean 30-27 sweep on all scorecards. Alaqraa now advances to the welterweight semifinals, where he will meet Mohamed Zarey, who earned his spot with a gutsy decision victory over Ayman Galal.
Bantamweight action stole the spotlight with several explosive finishes:Xavier Alaoui controlled Ziad Ayman with elite wrestling en route to a unanimous decision.Mokhtar Benkaci stunned Marcel Adur with a 57-second liver shot KO.Badreddine Diani edged out Ahmed Abdelbast Darwish in a tight three-round contest to advance to face Amir Fazli, who knocked out Rostem Akman in Round 2.
Nawras Abzakh overwhelmed Ali Yazbeck with second-round ground-and-pound for the stoppage.
Islam Youssef, stepping in on short notice, delivered a flying knee knockout to Benyamin Ghahreman with just five seconds left in Round 2.
Abdelrahman Alhyasat kept his undefeated record alive with a slick rear-naked choke submission over Anthony Zeidan in Round 2 of their lightweight clash.
The Road to Gold Continues With the PFL MENA semifinals now locked in, the tournament continues to raise the bar for regional MMA, showcasing elite talent, high-stakes action, and the next generation of champions. Fans can expect even more fireworks as fighters across the Middle East and North Africa battle for PFL belts and global recognition.
