Dubai: Pride of Arabia will take place at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai from May 23 to 24, bringing together fighters from 11 countries across the Middle East and North Africa for the 2026 season opener.
Held in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, the two-night event combines mixed martial arts action with live entertainment.
The weekend opens on May 23 with the ceremonial weigh-in and live concerts by Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan and Saudi singer Bader Al Shuaibi, before fight night begins on May 24.
Mohammad "The UAE Warrior" Yahya (12-6) will headline the event on home soil in his PFL debut against Tunisia's Mehdi Saadi (6-2) in the Featherweight Tournament quarter-final.
Yahya said, "The pressure doesn't really affect me. I've fought in many big events before, including main events. I'm just focused on my goal, and that's winning this fight."
Saadi described the contest as "a fight between Dubai and Abu Dhabi", adding that he aims to finish the bout in the second round.
The event will also feature the PFL MENA debut of Zamzam Al Hammadi, the UAE's first female MMA fighter to compete in a major regional promotion. The 18-year-old IMMAF Youth World Champion will face Abeer Mansour (2-1) in the Women's Strawweight Amateur Showcase.
Al Hammadi said she was fighting first for the UAE and then for her mother, Nada Al Nuaymi, who is a judo and jiu-jitsu practitioner.
In the Lightweight Tournament quarter-final co-main event, Morocco's undefeated Salah Eddine Hamli (11-0) will face Algeria's Ylies Djiroun (24-9).
Other bouts include Bahrain's Hamza Kooheji (14-4) against Morocco's Taha Bendaoud (5-1), alongside Mohammad Fahmi (6-1) versus Assem Ghanem (7-0), Ahmed El Sisy (7-2) versus Harda Karim (5-2), and Georges Eid (11-6) versus Hussein Fakher (7-4).
Jerome Mazet, General Manager of PFL MENA, said the event reflects the region's sporting and entertainment ambitions.
He said, "Pride of Arabia is exactly that - a celebration of this region, its fighters and its fans."