MMA – BAHRAIN’S mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Hamza Kooheji made a stunning debut in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Mena, punching his ticket into the semi-finals of the PFL Mena Nine: Pride of Arabia featherweight tournament, which got underway in Dubai, the UAE.
Kooheji controlled his fight against Taha Bendaoud of Morocco in the competition’s last eight, winning by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the three-round contest 29-28 in his favour.
“I dominated the whole fight, so I was confident when it went to a judges’ decision,” Kooheji said following his victory.
“I was very confident with my takedowns and happy with my performance. I can’t wait for the PFL semi-finals.”
Kooheji will next take on the winner of the other quarters clash between Elias Boudegzdame from Algeria and Hussein Saleem from Iraq.
Kooheji is considered one of the most prominent fighters from the kingdom and across the Arab world, and he is competing in the championship following a series of high-profile participations and combat sports experiences on the international and regional stages, in addition to his prominent role as a member of KHK MMA team – one of the most highly regarded MMA outfits in the region.
Also advancing to the featherweight tournament’s last four was Mehdi Saadi of Tunisia, who triumphed via split decision against Mohammad Yahya of the UAE.
Saadi will face either Ahmed Tarek of Egypt or Rachid El Hazoume of Morocco in the semis.
Meanwhile, also at PFL Mena Nine: Pride of Arabia, Bahrain’s Hamad Marhoon lost a fast-paced fight against Jordan’s Saher Qasmieh in a flyweight showcase fight.
Marhoon was edged out with a narrow split-decision outcome in his second appearance on the PFL stage, which followed a successful professional debut in December of last year.
One of the judges scored the bout in his favour 29-28, while the two others went against Marhoon 28-29.
For moments like these, I live,” Marhoon posted on social media after his bout. “I love everything about this road – the ups and downs.”
PFL Mena Nine: Pride of Arabia kicked off the promotion’s 2026 Mena season.
In the evening’s co-main event, Algeria’s Ylies Djiroun won a lightweight tournament quarter-final against Morocco’s Salah Eddine Hamli. Djiroun unleashed his unrelenting power and landed a combination of punches to the head and body, which earned him a round one technical knockout win.
Ahmed El Sisy took a hard-earned win over Harda Karim in another lightweight tournament quarter-final with major implications for the division.
Rising Emirati prospect Zamzam Al Hammadi made her highly anticipated PFL Mena debut in the women’s strawweight amateur showcase against Abeer Mansour, and earned a hard-fought decision.
Ahmed Albrahim delivered a one-sided performance against Ibrahim Mahmoud in a welterweight showcase, securing a TKO victory through ground-and-pound.
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