Lightweight, Welterweight Semifinals Crystallize at PFL MENA 2

Welterweights and Lightweights did not disappoint in Riyadh!

All The Finishes From PFL MENA 2 #PFLMENA pic.twitter.com/HalC5XdDNZ

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 12, 2024

Semifinals matchups for the Professional Fighters League’s first season in the Middle East and North Africa are now in place.

Welterweights Mohammad Alaqraa, Jarrah Al-Silawi, Badreddine Diani and Omar El Dafrawy punched their respective tickets, along with lightweights Mohsen Mohammadseifi, Souhil Tahiri, Abdullah Saleem and Georges Eid at PFL MENA 2 on Friday at The Green Halls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A $100,000 grand prize goes to the winner of each weight class, along with consideration to be included on the PFL’s global roster in 2025.

Alaqraa (6-0, 1-0 PFL) made his intentions known, as he disposed of Youcef Ouabbas with punches in the third round of their welterweight quarterfinal. Ouabbas (3-1, 0-1 PFL) met his end 53 seconds into Round 3. The American Kickboxing Academy’s Alaqraa moves on to the 170-pound semifinals against Diani (8-3, 1-0 PFL)—a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 winner over Amir Fazli (6-2, 0-1 PFL) in their three-round welterweight quarterfinal.

Meanwhile, Al-Silawi (20-6, 3-3 PFL) took another step toward a six-figure payday when he submitted Rayan Atmani with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their welterweight quarterfinal. Atmani (4-3, 0-1 PFL) capitulated 4:20 into Round 1. Al Silawi advances to the 170-pound semifinals against El Dafrawy (11-6, 1-0 PFL)—a 30-25, 30-26, 30-27 unanimous decision victor over Anthony Zeidan (4-2, 0-1 PFL) in their three-round welterweight quarterfinal.

Elsewhere, Mohammedseifi (5-1, 1-0 PFL) brought down Josh Togo with punches in the first round of their lightweight quarterfinal. Togo (13-6, 0-1 PFL) succumbed to blows 3:33 into Round 1. A five-time gold medalist at the World Wushu Championships, Mohammedseifi advances to the 155-pound semifinals against Tahiri (7-4, 1-0 PFL)—a 29-27, 29-27, 29-27 unanimous decision winner over Ahmed Amir (12-5-1, 0-2 PFL) in their three-round quarterfinal.

Further down the card, Saleem (6-0, 1-0 PFL) disposed of Omar Reguigui with a triangle choke in the first round of their lightweight quarterfinal. Reguigui (4-2, 0-1 PFL) bowed out 90 seconds into Round 1. Saleem moves on to the 155-pound semifinals against Eid (9-4, 1-0 PFL)—a 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 unanimous decision victor over Abbas Khan (6-3, 0-1 PFL) in their three-round quarterfinal.

In other action, Mostafa Rashed Nada (9-3, 2-0 PFL) punched out Abdel Rahmane Driai (9-3, 0-1 PFL) just 2:34 into their middleweight headliner; Ziad Ayman (6-1, 1-0 PFL) put away Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (5-1-1, 0-1 PFL) with a rear-naked choke 4:25 into the third round of their flyweight pairing; and Hattan Alsaif forced Eman Baraka to retire in between the second and third rounds of their amateur atomweight affair.

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