PFL MENA KICKS OFF 2026 SEASON IN DUBAI AT COCA-COLA ARENA ON MAY 24

UAE Star Mohammad Yahya Faces Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi in Featherweight Main Event in Front of Home Crowd

Salah Eddine Hamli Faces Ylies Djiroun in Lightweight Co-Main Event

Rising Emirati star Zamzam Al Hammadi makes highly-anticipated debut

Tickets on sale from April 23 via coca-cola-arena.com, with a 20% early bird discount valid until April 29

The event will feature athletes representing eleven nations across the region, highlighting the depth and unity of mixed martial arts in the Middle East and North Africa. Tickets are on sale now via coca-cola-arena.com with an early bird discount valid for 7 days, ending on April 29.

Headlining the event, the UAE’s Mohammad “The UAE Warrior” Yahya (12-6) makes his PFL debut against Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi (6-2) in a Featherweight Quarterfinal bout. Yahya enters as one of the region’s most established fighters and returns to compete on home soil in a key main event opportunity.

Meanwhile, Saadi brings a balanced skill set and momentum into the match-up. Both fighters will look to secure a place in the next round of the PFL MENA Featherweight Tournament.

In the co-main event, Morocco’s Salah “Supersalah” Eddine Hamli (11-0) faces Algeria’s Ylies “Broly” Djiroun (24-9) in a lightweight bout. Hamli enters the tournament undefeated following a dominant championship run last season, where he established himself as one of the region’s top lightweight finishers. Djiroun, meanwhile, brings veteran experience and a well-rounded skill set, having competed across multiple international promotions.

The card will also feature the highly-anticipated debut of rising Emirati MMA star Zamzam Al Hammadi. The 18-year old Al Hammadi signed with PFL MENA last year, bringing with her championships in MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“Dubai is a key market for PFL MENA and a global hub for sport and entertainment, making it the ideal stage for our 2026 season opener, aptly titled ‘Pride of Arabia,'” said Jerome Mazet, General Manager of PFL MENA. “Dubai has consistently shown its passion for MMA, and we are excited to bring local stars like Mohammad Yahya and Zamzam Al Hammadi to perform in front of a home crowd. As the beating heart of sport and entertainment in the Arab world, Dubai offers a truly unique atmosphere, with athletes representing multiple nations, we know fans from across the region will be in the arena to support their own. There’s no city that connects cultures, fans and fighters quite like Dubai.”

PFL MENA: Pride of Arabia Card
Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai, UAE
May 24 | 5pm GST
Starzplay (MENA)

ABOUT PFL MENA
PFL MENA is a regional league launched by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in partnership with SURJ Sports Investment. Headquartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, PFL MENA features the top Mixed Martial Arts fighters from the Middle East and North Africa, competing in the PFL’s distinctive “win and advance” season format. All events are staged live in the region and produced to world-class standards.

PFL MENA’s exclusive broadcast partner is STARZPLAY, the leading subscription video-on-demand service in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. With over 2.5 million subscribers and 18 million app downloads, STARZPLAY delivers a rich mix of Hollywood blockbusters, Arabic and Turkish dramas, original productions, and elite live sports, including Italian Serie A, football, cricket, and PFL.

PFLMENA.com; Instagram (@PFLMENA); Twitter (@PFLMENA); Facebook (/PFLMENA)

ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global mixed martial arts organization and one of the world’s leading combat sports properties. PFL produces live, premium MMA events broadcast and streamed to fans in more than 170 countries through an extensive network of international media partners. The organization features a roster of professional fighters representing the highest levels of international mixed martial arts competition.

Headquartered in the United States, PFL holds events across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with continued global expansion underway. PFL is backed by leading institutional investors and professional sports team owners, reflecting the accelerating growth of MMA as a mainstream global sport.

For more information, visit PFLmma.com and follow PFL at Facebook.com/PFLmma and @PFLMMA on X, Instagram, and TikTok.

ABOUT COCA-COLA ARENA
Opened in June 2019, Coca-Cola Arena has revolutionized the live entertainment industry in the UAE and throughout the Middle East. With a 17,000-seat capacity and unique automated seating design, the arena is equipped to host a diverse range of events all year round, establishing Dubai as a major destination on the global events circuit.

The award-winning arena is the premier venue for sporting tournaments, international concerts, comedy shows, live theatre, corporate gatherings, exhibitions and conferences, gala dinners and the official home of Dubai Basketball, the city’s first professional sports franchise team competing in European league competitions.

Located in the heart of City Walk, Coca-Cola Arena is just 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport and a 5-minute walk from the nearest Metro station. The Dubai landmark is an asset of the Dubai Holding Entertainment portfolio and is managed by Legends Global, the world’s leading venue management company.

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