PFL MENA Opens 2026 Season in Dubai as Mohammad Yahya Headlines May 24 Card
PFL MENA is heading back to Dubai for its 2026 season opener, with “Pride of Arabia” set for Sunday, May 24 at Coca-Cola Arena. The show begins at 5 p.m. GST and will stream in the region on STARZPLAY, continuing the league’s win-and-advance format for fighters from across the Middle East and North Africa.
PFL MENA launched in 2024 as the promotion’s regional league for the area, backed through its partnership with SRJ Sports Investments, and STARZPLAY remains a key broadcast outlet for fans in MENA.
PFL MENA in Dubai
The headline fight puts local name Mohammad “The UAE Warrior” Yahya against Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi in a featherweight quarterfinal. Yahya enters the card at 12-6 and makes his PFL debut on home soil, which gives the event a clear local angle in front of a Dubai crowd. Saadi, listed at 6-2, steps into an important tournament spot of his own, with the winner moving deeper into the 2026 featherweight bracket.
The co-main event carries tournament value too. Morocco’s Salah “Supersalah” Eddine Hamli brings an unbeaten 11-0 record into a lightweight quarterfinal against Algeria’s Ylies “Broly” Djiroun, who arrives with a 24-9 mark and far more cage experience. Hamli’s undefeated run makes him one of the names to watch on this card, while Djiroun gives the bracket a veteran test right away.
One of the most watched names on the bill may be Zamzam Al Hammadi, the Emirati prospect scheduled for a women’s strawweight amateur showcase bout. Al Hammadi signed with PFL MENA in April 2025 after building her name through youth world titles in MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and IMMAF described her as a two-time youth world champion who made history as the first Emirati woman to win an IMMAF Youth World Championship in 2023. Her appearance in Dubai gives the promotion another homegrown storyline beyond the main event.
The rest of the lineup adds tournament depth across the night. Hamza Kooheji faces Taha Bendaoud in another featherweight quarterfinal, while the lightweight bracket includes Mohammad Fahmi vs. Assem Ghanem, Ahmed El Sisy vs. Harda Karim, and Georges Eid vs. Hussein Fakher. Showcase fights are also scheduled for Abdullah Saleem vs. Basel Shalaan at lightweight, Hamad Marhoon vs. Saher Qasmieh at flyweight, Ahmed Albrahim vs. Khaled Mahmoud at welterweight amateur level, and Butti Suwaid Alameri in a featherweight amateur showcase bout against an opponent still to be announced.
The venue itself is one of Dubai’s main indoor event sites. Coca-Cola Arena is in City Walk, a few minutes on foot from Dubai Mall & Burj Khalifa Metro Station, and the arena advises fans to expect traffic because of its 17,000-capacity setup. It is accessible from Sheikh Zayed Road and Financial Centre Road, with paid parking, nearby public parking, taxi access, and a dedicated drop-off zone at the main entrances.
For PFL MENA, this opener is doing two jobs at once: starting a new tournament season and leaning into the local market with Yahya and Al Hammadi featured in Dubai. With athletes representing multiple nations on the card, the event fits the league’s regional pitch while giving UAE fans a card built around names they already know.
