Inaugural Season Finals of Professional Fighters League Wraps up in Riyadh
Riyadh, November 30, 2024, SPA -- The finals of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) concluded last night in Riyadh with thrilling bouts that crowned champions in this prestigious event, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time.
The event was organized by the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation in collaboration with the PFL Global League and under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports. It took place at King Saud University’s arena.
Deputy Minister of Sport Bader Al-Kadi attended the event, along with an impressive local and international audience and media presence. The competition featured six main fights across various globally recognized weight divisions, with champions awarded titles and a total prize pool of $6 million—$1 million for each winner.
The global mixed martial arts event also showcased significant Saudi participation in the finals of the inaugural season of the PFL Middle East and North Africa League. In a standout performance, featherweight fighter Abdullah Al-Qahtani defeated his Moroccan opponent Marouan Belguet with a decisive strike in the first round to claim the title.
Expressing his pride as the first Saudi champion in the PFL Middle East and North Africa League, Al-Qahtani stated: “I am grateful to the Saudi fans who supported me during the competition and to everyone who contributed to my success. I hope this is just the beginning of more victories that inspire other Saudi champions to pursue mixed martial arts and achieve international accomplishments in the name of our nation.”
In the atomweight division, Saudi fighter Hattan Al-Saif continued her streak of positive results, defeating Algeria’s Lilia Osmani with a technical knockout in the second round.
Al-Saif expressed her joy at achieving victory in front of the Saudi crowd. She extended her gratitude to the audience for their unwavering support from the announcement of the fight to its conclusion. She also thanked the Ministry of Sports, the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation, and the PFL Global League for organizing such an outstanding international event.
--SPA