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Al Khobar – Morocco’s Salah Eddine “SuperSalah” Hamli delivered a stunning second-round finish to become the country’s first-ever PFL MENA champion, electrifying the crowd at the lightweight championship bout in Al Khobar.
The undefeated Moroccan (10-0) defeated Iraq’s Mohammed Fahmi (9-1) at 4 minutes and 5 seconds of the second round, bringing the lightweight belt home to Morocco and cementing his place in the country’s combat sports history.
Jerome Mazet, General Manager of PFL MENA, had predicted the massive buzz surrounding Moroccan fighters in the lead-up to the finals. Speaking to Morocco World News (MWN) before the event, he spoke of how North Africa has become the organization’s strongest market.
“North Africa is our strongest market in many respects,” Mazet said. Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria always rank in the top five markets for viewership, he noted.
SuperSalah’s victory validates everything Mazet had said about Morocco’s emerging talent pool. The fighter now stands as proof that the region can produce world-class champions.
In comments to MWN, Hamli spoke emphatically of being happy to be the first Moroccan to win the title, dedicating the victory to the Moroccan people.
“These countries really have a strong pool of talents that just want one thing — to get recognized and have their chance to enter the cage and fight big guys,” Mazet had told MWN.
Diani falls short of glory
The night brought heartbreak for Morocco’s other championship hopeful. Baderddine “Dreamchaser” Diani (10-3) lost a hard-fought decision to Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa in the welterweight championship main event, dropping three rounds out of five.
Mazet had called the welterweight bout “one of the biggest fights of the year globally at the welterweight level, definitely the number one fight of the year for the whole Arab region.” The matchup lived up to the hype, though Diani’s dreams of championship gold slipped away.
The loss stings particularly hard for Diani, who Mazet ranked as the number one welterweight globally among Moroccan fighters heading into the bout.
Other championship results
Egypt’s Islam “The Egyptian Zombie” Reda successfully defended his featherweight championship against Algeria’s Yanis “The Desert Warrior” Ghemmouri. The Algerian surrendered to a triangle choke in the second round, allowing Reda to take the belt back home.
In the bantamweight (135) final, Jordan’s Nawras Abzakh (15-6) defeated Egypt’s Islam Youssef (7-3) by TKO in the first round, bringing the belt back to Jordan.
Showcase bouts deliver action
The undercard featured several compelling matchups that demonstrated the regional depth Mazet emphasized.
Morocco’s Oualid Gounaine faced Bahrain’s Hamad Marhoun in a catchweight showcase but surrendered during the first round.
Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Albrahim defeated Egypt’s Mohamed Nabil by TKO in the second round of their welterweight showcase, while countryman Malik Basahel finished Egypt’s Mahmoud Atef with ground-and-pound TKO in the first round of their flyweight bout.
Egypt’s Ahmed El Sisy claimed victory over Bahrain’s Abbas Khan in the lightweight showcase after three intense rounds, winning by judges’ decision.
Morocco’s Future in MMA
With SuperSalah now wearing championship gold, Mazet’s call for Morocco to host future PFL MENA events gains even more weight.
“We would love to go to Morocco next year,” Mazet said before the fights. “The way PFL works, we need help from the government, whether it’s the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, or at the city level.”
“What if they win the belt tonight?” Mazet had asked. “If I were in that position, I’d want to go back to my country and show the belt. I’d want my next fight at home.”
SuperSalah now finds himself in exactly that position. The newly crowned champion represents the hero Mazet said PFL MENA creates — and that hero deserves to defend his title in front of Moroccan fans.
“Moroccans want to see their fighters,” Mazet said. “They don’t want them to go back — oh, next year you’ll fight in Saudi or Abu Dhabi. The Moroccans want to see their fighters.”
The recent viral buzz around Diani and SuperSalah proved the demand exists. Mazet noted that media coverage exploded, influencers jumped in, and excitement spread organically across Morocco in the week leading up to the finals.
“If we bring a fight to Morocco tomorrow, we can probably sell 5,000 tickets because people want to see their heroes,” Mazet said.
With SuperSalah now holding the lightweight belt, that prediction looks conservative. Morocco’s first PFL MENA champion has given the country something to celebrate — and a reason for the government to bring the next championship home.
