DUBAI: Pouya Rahmani will have the biggest opportunity of his young mixed martial arts career when he joins the heavyweight division of the 2025 PFL World Tournament later this year.
The jiu-jitsu fighter is 4-0 in MMA, and will be looking to extend his winning streak in 2025.
“After my last fight, my manager asked me what I wanted. He offered to give me an opportunity to fight for the second-biggest MMA organization in the world, and I’m happy to fight in the tournament,” Pouya, 32, said.
“They have the best fighters in the world, and they’re all fighting for the title. This title, for me, is very important, and when I get that title, I’m going to have a much bigger goal.
“I’m going to challenge people from there, but until that happens, I just want to push myself to become PFL champion.”
Pouya says he will be representing UAE proudly when he steps inside the PFL SmartCage.
“I’m going to represent where I live now, the UAE. For four years I’ve lived here, and I’m so happy because everything I have achieved in MMA, I started in the UAE, and I’m going to represent that in the PFL,” the Iran-born fighter explained.
“It’s going to be my honor to represent this beautiful country. They’re open for everyone, and they give us the opportunity to train hard, push ourselves to the limit, and train with the best so that we have the opportunity to fight in the best organizations. I’m happy to be competing for them.”
A decorated amateur grappler with titles at the World Beach Games and the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro circuit in Gi and No-Gi tournaments, it is clear that Rahmani will be looking to take his opponents down.
“I’m the best grappler in the whole MMA community,” said Pouya. “No MMA fighter can do what I can do in grappling. I became world champion in grappling.
“No one can do the same thing as me. So it’s not just about getting the takedown, but also about how to control the guy. You can see a lot of people can take people down, (but) their opponents stand back up, you know.”
All of Rahmani’s wins have come by way of stoppage. Most recently, he won by first-round submission under the Absolute Championship Akhmat banner.
“In my last four fights, when I take someone down, it’s over. No one can move under me. It’s not because of magic or because of power, it’s because I train a lot for that,” Pouya said.
“I spend a lot of my time every day, learning to be the best grappler in the world. It’s not just about wrestling, it’s about learning jiu jitsu, learning control, so I can be dangerous in any position,” he added.
There is no doubt the 1.87-meter Iranian fighter will be a handful for the rest of the heavyweight field at the inaugural PFL World Tournament.
The 2025 PFL World Tournament will feature 64 fighters competing in eight weight divisions, with $500,000 at stake.
The tournament begins in April, with the first four events of the first round at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, US. The semifinal round is in June, and the finals in August.
