إصابة ولا أقوى لعبدالله القحطاني
بث مباشر الآن على قناة إم بي سي أكشن ومنصة شاهد!#نصنع_التاريخ #السعودية pic.twitter.com/1eY6TMgYI2
— PFL MENA (@PFLMENA) September 20, 2024
When it comes to MMA, nothing is ever guaranteed.
Bantamweights, featherweights, lightweights and welterweights were on display on Friday, along with a few showcase matchups with one featuring a rising amateur prospect. The Professional Fighters League completed its four-division playoffs of its Middle East, North Africa (MENA) series, setting the four finals bouts that had their fair share of intrigue. Both victors in the main and co-headlining spots crashed the party at PFL MENA 3 with upset wins.
The main attraction of the 10-fight show came at 145 pounds, as the favored Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2, 4-1 PFL) suffered his first defeat under the PFL banner in arguably the biggest fight of his career. “The Reaper” had the crowd on his side, and the undefeated Abdalrahman Alhyasat (5-0, 2-0 PFL) silenced them all. Alhyasat was able to batter Al-Qahtani on the ground and use his grappling to keep control of the fight, despite consistent calls from the referee for more action. The Jordanian named “Cobra” lashed out at opportune moments, drawing blood from Al-Qahtani while staying one step ahead for much of the fight. When the final bell sounded, Alhyasat earned one 30-27 score along with a pair of 29-28s to secure his place in the featherweight finals.
Omar El Dafrawy GETS IT DONE!
First round KO as he advances to the @PFLMENA Championship where he will face Mohammad Alaqraa for the #PFLMENA Welterweight Title! pic.twitter.com/ehgWq6YhQS
— PFL (@PFLMMA) September 20, 2024
Leading up to the co-main event, the expectations around the betting community and pundits were such that Jarrah Al-Silawi (20-7, 4-4 PFL) would blaze through his opponent and plant his flag in the $100,000 championship battle. That did not come to fruition, as upset-minded Omar El Dafrawy (12-6, 2-0 PFL) let his hands go early and often. Even if some overlooked him, a confident El Dafrawy promised a second-round knockout on fight week. His prediction was off by a few minutes, as he dispatched Al-Silawi with a fierce flurry of fists that briefly rendered “The Jordanian Lion” unconscious before knocking him back awake. While the defeated Al-Silawi briefly lodged a protest to referee Lorenzo Spoto, the damage was done and the fight had been waved off at 3:09 of the opening frame.
Dominance was the name of the game across the welterweight semifinals, with the aforementioned Dafrawy scoring the violent knockout and Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0, 2-0 PFL) handling Amir Fazli (6-3, 0-2 PFL) over three increasingly one-sided rounds. Kuwait’s Alaqraa outwrestled short-notice opponent Fazli, nullifying most of the offense Fazli could offer. The undefeated 24-year-old fighting out of American Kickboxing Academy took a clean sweep on the scorecards, claiming two 30-27 tallies and a 30-26 for good measure. The victorious 170-pounders will collide in a rematch of their 2023 bout under the UAE Warriors Banner, where the latter prevailed.
Engaging in a back-and-forth 15-minute encounter to seal one half of the lightweight bracket, Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1, 2-0 PFL) and Souhil Tahiri (7-5-1, 1-1 PFL) battled it out with a shot at $100,000 on the line. Iran’s Mohammadseifi came out strong in Round 1, only for Tahiri to storm back and nearly procure the finish in the second stanza. Likely saved by the bell, Mohammadseifi survived to the third round. With both fighters laboring in the final round, it was Mohammadseifi who had more in the tank to land cleaner and succeed in grounding his foe a couple times to get his hand raised. While one judge saw it three rounds to zero, the other two came in with matching 29-28 scores all in favor of Mohammadseifi to punch his ticket to the finals.
LEFT HOOK + STRAIGHT RIGHT = GOODNIGHT
Ali Taleb gets the first round KO in impressive fashion!
. @PFLMENA | #PFLMENA pic.twitter.com/9o357jlaWt
— PFL (@PFLMMA) September 20, 2024
Ali Taleb (11-1, 4-1 PFL) staged one of the most significant performances of the night, aggressively claiming his place in the championship at 135 pounds. Over 10 years younger and a few pounds smaller than his adversary, the fighter out of Sweden ran roughshod over Jalal Al Daja (11-9, 0-2 PFL). Right out of the gate, Taleb swarmed Al Daja and did not let up. The 26-year-old closed the show at 2:18 courtesy of a brutal left hook, followed by a punctuating right hand to shut Al Daja’s lights out.
Extending his win streak to six, Islam Reda (11-1, 2-0 PFL) outhustled Maraoune Bellagouit (6-1, 1-1 PFL) while ejecting him out of the ranks of the unbeaten. A smothering performance from the grappling-minded Reda proved to be a tough matchup for the Moroccan kickboxer. Throughout the course of their three-round featherweight affair, Reda repeatedly placed Bellagouit in uncomfortable positions against the cage and mat, practically controlling the fight from bell to bell. Two judges awarded “The Egyptian Zombie” a 10-8 round along the way, who settled for scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 29-27. With the 145-pound MENA championship along with a $100,000 check up for grabs, Reda will throw down with Alhyasat in the finals.
To lock down the other half of the bantamweight tournament equation, Rachid El Hazoume (11-3, 2-1 PFL) collided with Elias Boudegzdame (19-9, 1-1 PFL). A high-paced fight ensued, where both fighters had their moments in a back-and-forth affair, resulted in Hazoume ultimately gaining the upper hand when the dust settled. In part due to him bloodying up the Frenchman who calls himself “Smile,” Hazoume snagged matching 29-28 scores from the judges. “Haz” will take on power-punching Taleb for the MENA crown in the bantamweight division at year’s end.
Georges Eid with the vicious ground & pound in the first round! @PFLMENA | #PFLMENA pic.twitter.com/xZsR1unNe4
— PFL (@PFLMMA) September 20, 2024
The first tournament match of the card also featured one of the few finishes on the billing, as “Bulldozer” Georges Eid (10-4, 1 NC; 2-0 PFL) did just that against Omar Reguigui (4-1, 1 NC; 0-1, 1 NC PFL). Handing the Tunisian the first loss of his professional career, Eid thwarted a prolonged takedown effort and severely punished Reguigui for trying. A lengthy stretch of ground-and-pound prompted referee Lorenzo Spoto to step in at 1:37 of the first frame, making Eid the first finalist of the evening. Eid will come to blows with Mohammadseifi at the end of the year for a crack at lightweight MENA gold.
In non-tournament action, the promotion staged an amateur flyweight encounter for Malik Basahel, who took a clear-cut decision over Saher Qasmieh; the night opened with French 145er Adam Meskini (9-3, 1-1 PFL) sneaking past Yazeed Hasanain (3-2, 0-2 PFL) via split decision in a showcase matchup.
