Al-Hilal host Al-Orobah at Kingdom Arena

JEDDAH: The second season of PFL MENA got off to an exciting start at the weekend with wins for local favorites, and fighters in the featherweight and lightweight divisions advancing to the playoffs.

In the main event at the Onyx Arena, 2024 PFL lightweight champion Mohsen Mohammadseifi of Iran beat Egypt’s Ahmed El-Sisy by unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals.

Mohammadseifi leaned on his striking in the early rounds before shifting gears and showcasing his grappling in the final frame to seal the victory.

In the co-main event, PFL MENA newcomer Salah Eddine Hamli of Morocco clinched a spot in the lightweight semifinals with a slick third-round submission victory over Bahrain’s Abbas Khan.

Taha Bendaoud of Morocco needed just over two minutes to put away Boualem Drissi of Algeria by submission and secure his spot in the featherweight semifinals.

Malik Basahel of Saudi Arabia made a statement in his professional debut, scoring a second-round TKO win over Algeria’s Mountasser Boutouta in a showcase flyweight bout.

Basahel said: “I felt good in there during the fight, I trained hard and well for this fight with my team down at AVT Leeds, so I came in prepared and ready.

“There’s not much difference from amateur and pro, just probably the rules set and the extra two minutes in the round but a fight is still just a fight at the end of the day.”

He added: “I’m always going in a fight knowing I’m going to win, even if the first round is not going my way.

“I’m always confident I can turn the fight around if I have to, but for this fight I would say halfway through the first round I figured out the distance and what he wanted to do and managed to overcome that and get the win.”

Displaying sharp, well-rounded striking, Basahel picked Boutouta apart with punches, knees and kicks. He sealed the deal in the second round with a perfectly timed knee, followed by a flurry of ground-and-pound to force the stoppage.

A commanding performance from bell to bell earned Egypt’s Assem Ghanem a spot in the featherweight semifinals, as he smothered Hussein Salem of Iraq over three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory.

Islam Reda of Egypt punched his way into the featherweight semifinals with a crushing third-round TKO win over Algeria’s Akram Nasri. There was no stopping Reda after getting into full mount in the final round, as he unloaded a barrage of punches to get the win.

Mohammad Fahmi of Iraq also secured a spot in the lightweight semifinals with a dominant performance, submitting Georges Eid of Lebanon via Anaconda Choke at the 3:12 mark in the first round.

In the final fight of his MMA career, Ahmed Makki of Saudi Arabia went out with a bang, as he notched a third-round Heel-Hook submission win over Hasham Elnamer of Egypt in a showcase lightweight bout.

“It was more than I imagined,” Makki said. “To go out there and perform the way I did, in front of such an incredible crowd, meant everything to me.

“I wanted my last fight to be a statement, not just for myself, but for everyone who’s supported me throughout the years. I’m proud that I was able to end my career on a high note.”

“Retirement doesn’t mean stepping away from the sport completely,” he added.

“I’m excited to focus on mentoring young talent, possibly coaching, and working on projects that help grow MMA in the region, especially here in Saudi Arabia.

“I’m also diving deeper into social media to connect with fans and share more behind-the-scenes content, as well as doing fight analysis and commentary. It’s a new chapter but still rooted in the sport I love.”

Souhil Tairi of Algeria also advanced to the lightweight semifinals with a spectacular second-round TKO over Kuwait’s Abdullah Saleem. A devastating knee to the body spelled the beginning of the end for Saleem, as Tairi followed up with vicious strikes on the ground to score the win.

Eman Almudhaf of Kuwait remained undefeated in her MMA career with a win over Shamara Braga of Brazil in a showcase women’s featherweight bout. Almudhaf bucked a slow opening round and put the pressure on Braga in the second and third rounds to earn a split decision victory.

In the opening bout of the night, Abdulaziz Al-Moammar of Saudi Arabia beat Fares Hamdani of Algeria in an amateur showcase bout. Al-Moammar was the more aggressive fighter throughout the three-round contest, using his grappling to control the pace en route to a unanimous decision win.

The featherweight tournament’s co-main event between Jordan’s Izzeddine Al-Derbani and Yanis Ghemmouri of Algeria was canceled after Al-Derbani was deemed unable to compete due to medical reasons.

Novak Djokovic’s tennis prowess is beyond question despite a sharp dip in form during the European claycourt swing and the veteran Serb can return to his devastating best again if he wants to, world number two Alexander Zverev has said.
Djokovic turns 38 three days before the French Open, which begins on May 25, and the 24-times Grand Slam winner’s preparations have been far from ideal, with opening losses at Masters tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid last month.
After skipping the ongoing Italian Open without giving a reason, Djokovic will make one final attempt to rediscover his rhythm at next week’s Geneva Open after accepting a wild card and Zverev warned against writing off his friend completely.
“Maybe he didn’t play up to his standard or his liking, but who does sometimes? If you’re a top guy and you’re not winning the tournament, you always go home a little bit upset,” Zverev told reporters in Rome on Sunday.
“I believe once he finds his game, he’s still one of the most dangerous players in the world.”
World number six Djokovic, who is chasing his 100th tour-level title, has struggled to assert his dominance after winning three out of the four Grand Slams in 2023.
However, he stepped up his game at the Paris Olympics last year to win gold, outclassing four-times major champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Roland Garros.
“There’s no question about his ability at all,” said Zverev, who advanced to this year’s Australian Open final after Djokovic retired injured midway through their clash.
“It’s more whether he still wants to put in the work. That’s a question to him. His tennis ability is above everyone else’s.”
Second seed Zverev, who beat Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas 6-4 6-0 in Rome on Sunday, meets Frenchman Arthur Fils next in the third round.