RIYADH: Two of the Middle East’s best 170-pounders will go head to head in the first-ever PFL MENA Championships on Nov. 29, as Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa faces Omar El Dafrawy of Egypt in a highly anticipated rematch.
Alaqraa and El Dafrawy first crossed paths back in 2023, competing under the UAE Warriors promotion. Alaqraa won that meeting via unanimous decision and plans to raise his hands once again, this time for the inaugural PFL MENA Welterweight Championship.
“Omar has improved a lot since our last fight, but I have improved as well,” Alaqraa said. “There’s a difference between us in terms of skill level and fight tactics.
“I will beat him in a more dominant way than before.”
Since their first meeting, the undefeated Alaqraa has only added to his winning streak, pushing his professional record to 7-0. This includes two impressive victories in the inaugural PFL MENA season.
These performances have only boosted his belief in his own abilities.
“I’m confident that no fighter in the Arab world can beat me. Not Omar, not anyone else,” he said boldly.
While Alaqraa has a massive opportunity to score the biggest win of his young career, the 24-year old does not deny he is looking at the PFL MENA championship as a stepping stone to even bigger things.
“Winning the PFL MENA title is just the beginning of my journey towards global success, which is my ultimate goal,” Alaqraa explained. “To compete on the world stage, I need to be the best fighter in the Arab world, and that’s why I must defeat El Dafrawy and claim the title.”
And he had some strong words for El Dafrawy ahead of their upcoming match.
“You’ve never beaten strong fighters, and I’ll finish you with a knockout since that’s what you want,” Alaqraa declared. “You will never become a champion, so stop dreaming.”
The complete PFL MENA Championships fight card is as follows:
PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2)
PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6)
Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani
PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3)
PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1) vs. Georges Eid (10-4)
Showcase Fights:
Lightweight MENA Showcase: Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1)
Heavyweight MENA Showcase: Slim Trabelsi (7-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-0)
Featherweight Global Showcase: Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (19-4)
Featherweight Global Showcase: Asael Adjoudj (8-1) vs. Jose Perez (9-1)
Middleweight Global Showcase: Costello van Steenis (15-3) vs. Joao Dantas (7-1)
The PFL MENA Championships can be seen live on MBC on Friday, Nov. 29 at 5.30 p.m. AGT. Tickets are now on sale via webook.com
