Saudi Arabia’s al-Qahtani, Jordan’s al-Hyasat ready to face off as PFL MENA returns

Saudi fighter Abdullah al-Qahtani and Jordanian fighter Abdulrahman al-Hyasat said they were ready to go head-to-head in a highly anticipated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bout as PFL MENA returns to Riyadh.

The semifinal PFL MENA matchups are set to take place at PFL MENA 3 on September 20 in Boulevard City, Riyadh.

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The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest-growing and most innovative sports league in the world, announced that fighters in the Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Divisions will compete for a spot in the PFL MENA Finals and will look to move one win away from becoming among the inaugural PFL MENA Champions.

As part of the main event, al-Qahtani – who has a nine to one win streak – takes on al-Hyasat, who has a four to zero win streak, in the Featherweight Semifinals.

Speaking to Al Arabiya English, the Saudi fighter said: “I am ready for the upcoming fight. I trained in Thailand and Riyadh ahead of this fight. I will do everything I can and more to win. I am very excited to have my friends and my fans in the audience watching me.”

For his part, the Jordanian fighter said: “I am here in Saudi Arabia. I am representing Jordan, I’m representing my city, my family, and my gym. I’m super excited to be here and to be facing Abdullah al-Qahtani here in his hometown.”

Although the two have never been paired against one another, tensions were high between the fighters ahead of their highly anticipated bout.

“I need to win this fight because I want to show the world what it means to be a Jordanian fighter. I need to beat Abdullah in his hometown, because he feels comfortable here. There is nothing that is putting pressure on him. But actually I will be putting pressure on him. I will beat him and no one can help him,” al-Hyasat told Al Arabiya English.

“It’s the first time I’ll be fighting Abdulrahman. I feel fine. He likes to talk a lot. But it’s okay, I am used to this,” the Saudi fighter said when asked about his opponent.

PFL MENA 3 – held inside PFL MENA Studio at Boulevard City – will be the third installment of the four-event, sport-season format featuring the region’s top fighters and a groundbreaking initiative with SURJ Sports Investments (SURJ).

The rest of the inaugural season will take place across key markets in the Middle East.

The launch of a league in the Middle East and North Africa has been life-changing for fighters from the region such as himself, al-Hyasat said.

“To be part of PFL is something big and unique, especially in the Middle East. When you are part of a global organization, it gives fighters the opportunity to show up and showcase their skills,” the Jordanian MMA fighter said.

“You could be one of the world’s greatest fighters but your skills are hidden because you don’t have a big organization like the PFL to back you up. But right now, as a fighter with the PFL I am able to show the world who I am,” he added.

“The PFL is a big name and its an organization that people dream of fighting with. Thank God I am a part of this and it is something that makes me very happy and proud to be a part of,” Saudi fighter al-Qahtani said.

PFL MENA 3 will air live in primetime on MBC Action; the free-to-air broadcasts will be accessible to fans across the region.

In addition to PFL MENA, MBC Action will air the PFL Global Season, PFL Europe, Bellator Champions Series and PFL’s Pay-Per-View Superfight Division events.

Other Semifinals matchups will feature Algeria’s Souhil Taïri taking on Mohsen Mohammadseifi of Iran in the Lightweight Division, while Iraq’s Ali Taleb meets Jordan’s Jalal Al Daaja in the Bantamweight Division.

In a statement, the General Manager of PFL MENA Jerome Mazet said: “We’re very excited to be heading into the playoffs of the inaugural PFL MENA season. Fighters in the Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Divisions are competing for a spot in the finals and are looking to become the first PFL MENA champions. We’re building stars here, and we can’t wait to see who makes it to the finale.”

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