2025 PFL MENA 2 Pre-Fight Notebook

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The Professional Fighters League will get back to business with 2025 PFL MENA 2 on Friday at The Green Halls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where bantamweight and welterweight tournaments are set to begin. Ahead of the event, several fighters on the card spoke with Sherdog.com on a variety of topics. A recap of what was said:

Xavier Alaoui on the impact of PFL MENA: “I love it. I find the [Middle East and North Africa] region is a proper place to come and expand the sport. If you look at the infrastructure, everything is majestic, everything is hyped over here. You get good service. It really shows a part of the world that we’re probably not aware of. It has really developed and has a lot to offer, not just right now but for the future of the sport. I’m very happy the PFL is here and that they’ve launched the MENA league.”

Nawras Abzakh on improvements he has made since 2024: “I’ve changed up a lot of my training. Last year, I did all of my training in Jordan, and this year, I moved it to Bali. I did my entire training camp in Bali. I was able to train with a lot of new and experienced fighters there. It is completely different from last year. I felt it was a big change to make, and I feel I’m much more ready this year compared to what I showed last year.”

Badreddine Diani on his motivations after being injured in 2024: “I’m highly motivated because after everything I went through last year with the injury, after I was fully recovered, I came and made weight as the backup for the championship, but I wasn’t needed. Everyone around me told me it would’ve been an easy matchup against either guy, and I was very angry because I wanted to fight. I made the weight as a professional and couldn’t compete. This year, I’m very motivated because everything is set. I’m healthy, and now I’m ready to win the belt.”

Nour Al Fliti on opportunity of facing Hattan Alsaif: “It’s a big opportunity for me. It’s a fight that I’m taking seriously. I’m working hard to get to be the one who will get the victory. It’s a great start to my amateur career, to get this atmosphere and these vibes for this fight. I feel blessed. I see Hatan as any opponent that I have faced before. I study my opponents very well. I shape my skills depending on my opponent’s fighting style, so my advantage is my determination and my discipline.”

Abdelrahman Alhyasat on returning to PFL MENA: “PFL MENA means a lot to me and my career. It’s a major part of my life. All I do is wake up and go to bed thinking about PFL. I want to build my name up with the PFL. Everyone knows who the ‘Cobra’ is, and I want to make the most of my career with this company.”