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Xavier Alaoui is blunt about his ambitions. “I’m not taking a plane to go lose,” says the Moroccan fighter ahead of his Professional Fighters League (PFL) MENA semi-final on September 27 against Islam Youssef from Egypt in the Bantamweight division. “I’m going to win that night, and then I’m gonna focus on the final.”
At 32, Alaoui has lived much of his professional life in the shadows of injuries and near-misses. Last year he entered the PFL cage with a torn groin ligament, hobbled but unwilling to miss what he calls “one of the biggest leagues in the world, if not the biggest.” Predictably, he lost to Rachid El Hazoume, another Moroccan. “I wasn’t gonna miss out on PFL … but I couldn’t move my leg properly. I got dominated. This year I’m healthy.”
That health may matter more than ever. His opponent, Egypt’s Islam Youssef, is, in Alaoui’s words, “a good striker, explosive, strong … the best guy out of his country.” But Alaoui sounds confident. “It’s not gonna be enough. He’s in for a hard one.”
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Beyond personal rivalries, Alaoui sees himself as part of a larger Moroccan wave of fighters. “We always had it in us,” he says, recalling childhood memories of Badr Hari, the kickboxing superstar. “Even in history, Moroccans were great warriors. The level has really risen. I’m happy to be carrying the flag, and I’m happy to make the country proud.” From his base in Canada, where “we’re a small minority of Moroccans, but we’re loud,” he keeps a close eye on fighters at home. “They’re getting so much better. I see it on their Instagram.”
Fans can expect fireworks. “It’s always a mystery when I fight. I might come out grappling, I might come out striking, but I’m finishing this fight.” His arsenal is varied; unpredictability is the plan.
The PFL offers him not just exposure: “It’s professional, it’s fun,” he says. “I’m happy to wear the gear. I love leagues that have gear, so the fans can wear the clothes.”
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The appeal is telling. Moroccan fighters, once scattered and overshadowed, are beginning to carve out a place in MMA – and most particularly PFL MENA. Alaoui gives a shout-out to the PFL, to Morocco, and to King Mohammed VI. “We’re all fighting, we have the flag for years, we love to represent you, we’ll keep representing you always.”
