PFL MENA: ‘Pride of Arabia’ brings “historic” night to Dubai on May 24

Dubai: The Professional Fighters League (PSL) is set to ignite its 2026 MENA season in spectacular fashion, as the ‘Pride of Arabia’ event lands on Sunday May 24 at Dubai’s iconic Coca-Cola Arena.

In the words of General Manager Jerome Mazet, this is not just another fight card, but “a celebration for the people of the UAE,” following a difficult period across the region.

“We wanted this event to feel like a celebration,” Mazet said.

“Obviously, with everything that's happened over the past few months, there’s a need to be together, a need to commune, a need to celebrate.”

Fighters from 11 nations, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, will compete on a card designed to bring together the wider Arab world.

“All those countries right now, there’s a need to be together,” Mazet added. “Events are back in Dubai. We want people to come and celebrate with us.”

The choice of venue only strengthens Mazet’s message with the Coca-Cola Arena becoming synonymous with major combat sports events in the region, and PFL has already built a strong history there.

“We’ve hosted three PFL events before, every time it was full house,” Mazet stated.

“It’s one of the best venues out there, for the whole MENA region I’d say it’s within the top two.”

Beyond the scale of the venue and the international line-up, the emotional core of the night lies with two Emirati fighters who represent both the present and future of MMA in the UAE.

Headlining the event is Mohammed Yahya, making his long-awaited return to the cage on home soil against Tunisia's Mehdi Saadi in a featherweight bout.

A UFC veteran and former UAE Warriors champion, Yahya now steps into a different role, not just as a competitor, but as a central figure in the region’s MMA story.

Speaking on the decision to make Yahya the main event on the Dubai card, Mazet believes he will put on a show for his hometown fans.

He said: “I was here in 2023 when he was fighting, and the fan reception was amazing. Here he is top of the card, this is his new journey and he’s coming for the belt.

“Part of the journey is you have to connect with the fans, we could fight Yahya in the US or in France, it wouldn’t have the same reception.

“You don’t fight that often per year, you don’t always have the opportunity to fight at home, so it’s absolutely huge, for his career, but also for the fans.”

Alongside him, another groundbreaking moment will unfold at the event as Zamzam Alhamadi makes her debut.

“She’s the first Emirati female to enter the cage, any cage really," explained Mazet.

“What a huge moment this will be not just for the UAE but for the sport as a whole, Alhamadi is really making history.

“Our mission is to take the best talents from around the region and make them grow and part of that is fighting at home, having that fan association, that amplification.”

Scheduled for a Sunday afternoon, the event breaks from the typical combat sports schedule, which usually sees major fight nights taking place on Saturday evenings.

This earlier time slot is intentionally designed to make the experience more accessible to a wider audience.

“We put it at 4pm on a Sunday on purpose,” Mazet explained.

“We want families, we want students, it’s an event to celebrate together, we’ve designed it to be a community event.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now via coca-cola-arena.com with an early bird discount, ending on April 29.