Top Reasons to Catch PFL MENA 1

Mohsen Mohammadseifi has designs on accomplishing what has always been a rare feat in sports, as he begins his quest for a repeat with the fledgling Middle East and North Africa branch of the Professional Fighters League.

The 35-year-old Iranian will set out in search of a second straight championship when his lightweight quarterfinal opposite Ahmed El Sisy serves as the PFL MENA 1 headliner on Friday at Onyx Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mohammadseifi enters the cage with the wind of a seven-fight winning streak in his sails. He last saw action on Nov. 29, when he took a five-round unanimous decision from Georges Eid in their lightweight final at the 2024 PFL Championships. El Sisy, meanwhile, has rattled off back-to-back victories since his Jan. 26, 2024 encounter with Nizar Tawab resulted in a no contest. The former Qadya MMA champion last suited up at a Middle East Fighting Championship show on May 24, when he put away Aboubakeur Houari with first-round punches. El Sisy has secured four of his six career victories by knockout or technical knockout.

Outside of the Mohammadseifi-El Sisy confrontation atop the bill, here are two other reasons to catch PFL MENA 1:

Leveled Out

Yanis Ghemmouri gets a chance to put his big-show experience to immediate use. After an unsuccessful two-bout stay in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, “The Desert Warrior” takes on Izzeddine Al Derbani when their featherweight quarterfinal draws co-main event duty. An ex-Sparta Fight Series champion, Ghemmouri had posted nine consecutive victories—five of them via stoppage—before he signed with the UFC. He has not competed since he suffered a 19-second knockout at the hands of Payton Talbott at UFC 303 on June 29. On the other side of the equation, Al Derbani has alternated wins and losses in each of his past five appearances. The 37-year-old Jordanian last strapped on the gloves on Dec. 15, when he tapped to a rear-naked choke from Omar Solomanov in the first round of their encounter under the Brave Combat Federation banner.

A Change in Plans

Islam Reda looks like a decent bet as one of the pre-tournament favorites. The 31-year-old “Egyptian Zombie” does battle with Akram Nasri in a makeshift featherweight quarterfinal. Reda has pieced together a six-fight winning streak since he suffered his first professional setback—a split decision defeat to 2024 PFL MENA champion Abdullah Al-Qahtani six-plus years ago. The two men were originally paired against one another in a rematch, but an injury forced Al-Qahtani out of the competition. Reda improved to 12-1 in September, when he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision at PFL MENA 3. Into the Al-Qahtani void steps Nasri, an Algerian prospect who has submitted all three of his opponents as a pro. He last appeared at a Berbere Fighting Championship offering on June 28, as he disposed of Islem Laaziz with a rear-naked choke in a little more than four minutes.