Top Emirati prospects Hadi Al Hussaini and Youssef Al Housani will compete in Showcase
bouts during the inaugural PFL MENA Season
PFL MENA is the home to top MMA fighters from the Middle East and North Africa
competing in the proven PFL Season format with all events taking place live in
the MENA region
PFL MENA: Riyadh the first of four PFL MENA Season events will be live Friday, May 10
on MBC ACTION and SHAHID, the leading streaming platform in MENA, by MBC GROUP
and will be accessible to fans across the region
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (8 May 2024) - The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest- growing and most innovative sports league, today announced the signing of two top MMA prospects from the United Arab Emirates, flyweight Hadi Omar Al Hussaini and featherweight Youssef Al Housani to exclusive, multi-fight contracts.Al Hussaini and Al Housani are expected to compete in Showcase bouts in the inaugural PFL MENA season, before joining next year’s season.
“We are thrilled to welcome two of the UAE’s top prospects to PFL MENA,” said Gustavo Firmino, VP of Fighter Operations, PFL MENA. “The mission of the PFL is to find the best fighters in every region around the world. Our partnership with SRJ Sports has allowed the PFL to identify and sign exceptional fighters like Al Hussaini and Al Housani who we know have the potential to become global stars in the sport.
Undefeated to start his career, Hadi Omar Al Hussaini joins PFL MENA with a 5-0-1 professional record. The former UAE Warriors standout trains at the world-renowned American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California under Javier Mendez, alongside world champions Islam Makhachev, Usman Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov.
Youssef Al Housani, meanwhile, joins PFL MENA with a 4-1 professional record. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt is an elite-level grappler with multiple Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro championships to his name. Outside the cage, Al Housani is an accomplished actor, appearing in the UAE-based TV show Ramadan.
PFL is the only organization in MMA with a sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
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ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA. PFL has five live fight franchises, offering year-round content: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator. Founded in 2018, PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SRJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.
PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma)
ABOUT SRJ SPORTS INVESTMENTS
SRJ (/Surge/) Sports Investments is a leading sports investor, wholly owned by PIF, and established to develop a world-class sports sector in Saudi Arabia and beyond. SRJ Sports Investments focuses on driving sustainable investment across technology, media, programming, IP rights, and commercialization of venues – serving the sports sector in Saudi Arabia and across the MENA region.
