JEDDAH: On May 9 the second season of PFL MENA kicks off in Jeddah with several young fighters battling to make their mark in the sport.
A new talent is Morocco’s Salah Eddine Hamli, who meets Bahrain’s Abbas Khan in a lightweight quarterfinal bout.
Undefeated in eight professional bouts with five wins by stoppage, Hamli has fought for multiple promotions, most recently with WAR MMA in Spain, where he scored back-to-back unanimous decision wins.
Stepping onto the biggest stage of his MMA career, Hamli says that getting to compete in the PFL SmartCage is a dream come true.
“It means a lot to me because it reflects all the hard work I’ve put in,” Hamli said. “Having the opportunity to compete in such a big organization like PFL is a dream come true.”
Hamli says that he followed the first season of PFL MENA, thanks in large part to compatriot Rachid Haz.
Haz fell short of claiming the PFL MENA bantamweight championship, losing by knockout to Ali Taleb in the first round of the finals bout.
“I followed (the first season) especially since Rachid, my fellow Moroccan, made it to the final,” Hamli said. “Even though he didn’t win, we supported him all the way.”
“I’m super prepared and focused, and people are going to see a great show,” Hamli said. “I believe I’m a complete fighter in every aspect, and I’m very hungry for this.”
Hamli knows that Khan will not be an easy assignment. “He’s a good opponent, quite well-rounded. I’m really looking forward to stepping inside the SmartCage with him.”
The complete 2025 PFL MENA 1 Fight Card:
Featherweight quarterfinal: Abdullah Al-Qahtani (10-2) vs. Islam Reda (12-1)
Lightweight quarterfinal: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (7-2) vs. Ahmed El-Sisy (6-1, 1 NC)
Lightweight quarterfinal: Salah Eddine Hamli (8-0) vs. Abbas Khan (8-3)
Featherweight quarterfinal: Izzedine Al-Derbani (15-5) vs. Yanis Ghemmouri (12-3)
Flyweight Showcase: Malik Basahel (0-0) vs. Mountasser Boutouta (1-0)
Featherweight quarterfinal: Abdelrahman Alyhasat (5-0) vs. Taha Bendaoud (4-0)
Featherweight quarterfinal: Hussein Salem (12-5) vs. Assem Ghanem (6-0)
Lightweight quarterfinal: Georges Eid (10-5, 1 NC) vs. Mohammad Fahmi (4-0)
Lightweight Showcase: Ahmed Makki (1-3-1) vs. Hasham Elnamer (3-0)
Lightweight quarterfinal: Abdullah Saleem (5-0, 1 NC) vs. Souhil Tairi (7-6-1)
Featherweight Showcase: Youssef Alhosani (4-1) vs. Neder Jeffel (2-0)
Amateur catchweight 166 pounds (74kg) Showcase: Abdulaziz bin Moammar (10-3 AM) vs. Fares Hamdani (2-0 AM)
