SME-Coverage/Samir Boussad
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (May 7, 2024)
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, announced the broadcast of the PFL Championship for the Middle East and North Africa region, for the first time, in Riyadh, on May 10, on the MBC Action channel and the Shahid platform.
The PFL season for the Middle East and North Africa region will be broadcast live from the Green Gyms, in Riyadh, and will include competitions in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions.
Some limited tickets are still available through WeBook.com
The PFL Middle East and North Africa Championship, scheduled in Riyadh, will be the first event of an exciting four-event sporting season, featuring the best fighters in the region, and a pioneering initiative with Sarj Sports Investments (SRJ).
The historic fight card will include the best fighters from the Middle East and North Africa, in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, who will compete in elimination bouts, where victory in the Professional Fighters League qualifies for the final stages.
At the head of the card will be the Kingdom’s player, Abdullah Al-Qahtani, nicknamed “The Thug”, who will face Moroccan Taha Bin Daoud, in a main featherweight event.
Also participating in the main event is Iraqi fighter Ali Talib, who will meet his Jordanian counterpart, Nawras Abzakh, in a bantamweight confrontation.
The 2024 Middle East and North Africa Professional Fighters League card, which will be held on May 10 in the Green Gyms in Riyadh, and broadcast live on the MBC Action channel and Shahid platform, at 6:30 pm Saudi time, will be as follows:
Featherweight main event: Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Taha Bin Daoud
Bantamweight co-main event: Ali Talib vs. Norris Abzakh
Bantamweight: Javier Alaoui vs. Rachid Al Hazoumi
Featherweight: Islam Reda vs. Adam El Meskini
Bantamweight: Tariq Ismail vs. Jalal Al-Daja
Bantamweight: Elias Budgsdam vs. Hassan Mandour
Women’s Amateur – Atomic Weight: Hattan Al Saif vs. Nada Fahim
Featherweight: Marouane Blaguette vs. Moataz Askar
Featherweight: Ahmed Tariq vs. Abdul Rahman Al-Hayasat
Featherweight show: Mido Muhammad vs. Yazid Hassanein
Flyweight Show: Malik Basahal vs. Harsh Pandya
The PFL is the only organization in the world of mixed martial arts with a season system, where fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and tournament each year.
The combined roster of the PFL and Bellator has 30% of its fighters independently ranked globally in the top 25 in their weight class.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has an expanded global vision for this sport, and is building a “Champions League of MMA” with the Professional Fighters League in Europe (PFL Europe) and the Professional Fighters League (PFL Middle East and North Africa). More international leagues are under development.
The PFL is at the forefront of technology and innovation, with its PFL SmartCage software, which powers fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring and a next-generation viewing experience.
PFL rights are available on ESPN in the US, DAZN in Canada and Europe, and are broadcast in 160 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
About the Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global force in mixed martial arts. The PFL has five live-action franchises, offering content year-round: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator.
Founded in 2018, PFL is backed by major investors including SRJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and multiple NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS team owners.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is the commercial growth sport of the decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the smallest audience demographic, and significant revenue streams.
About Sarj Sports Investments Company (SRJ)
SARJ (SRJ) is a leading sports investor, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, established to develop a world-class sports sector in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
SRJ Sports Investments focuses on driving sustainable investment across technology, media, programming, intellectual property rights and venue marketing – serving the sports sector in Saudi Arabia, and across the MENA region.
