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PFL MENA Boss Jerome Mazet Talks Saudi MMA Boom Ahead of Riyadh Semifinals
PFL MENA returns to Riyadh today with tournament places at stake, a rivalry almost 10 years in the making and another step forward for women’s MMA in Saudi Arabia. PFL MENA 11 begins at 5 p.m. AST from Boulevard City, with semifinal bouts in the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions. The main event sees Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Rashed Neda face Egypt’s Osama Elsaidy at light heavyweight. Each man won one of their first two meetings, and the trilogy bout arrives a decade after their last encounter.
Badreddine Diani faces the unbeaten Hazem Kayyali in the welterweight co-main event. The card also includes Elias Boudegzdame against Islam Youssef at featherweight and Ylies Djiroun against Basel Shalaan at lightweight, with a place in the PFL MENA Finals waiting for each tournament winner.
PFL MENA 11
Fatima Al Ammari, Hattan Alsaif, and Saudi Arabia
Yet PFL MENA General Manager Jerome Mazet believes one of the evening’s biggest stories could come earlier, when Fatima Al Ammari faces Algeria’s Aya Lounes in a women’s bantamweight amateur contest. Al Ammari is set to become the second Saudi woman to compete under the PFL MENA banner, following the rise of Hattan Alsaif. Mazet admitted Alsaif’s connection with the Saudi audience caught even the promotion by surprise.
PFL MENA General Manager Jerome Mazet believes that combination reflects what the league was created to do: identify regional talent, provide regular fights and build a route towards international competition. He has previously described PFL MENA as the “missing step” for Arab fighters who once had to travel abroad to pursue major opportunities. “There is a lot of talent there, male and female, that is just waiting for an opportunity,” Mazet told us. “That is what we try to be: that opportunity.”
He recalled seeing spectators attend specifically for her fights, with some leaving before the main event once she had competed. “When she is fighting, we have more women and more children in attendance,” Mazet told us. “There is always a spike, and we can see it very clearly. We go to around 25 to 30 percent women ticket holders.” His explanation for Alsaif’s appeal is refreshingly simple.
“People just like her, and they like her authenticity,” he said. “They like what she represents. I think the Saudis really like her warrior mentality. At the end of the day, it is as simple as pride.” Mazet now sees an opening for more female fighters from the region, with Al Ammari receiving her opportunity in Riyadh.
That response has helped shape PFL MENA’s plans. Mazet said women will remain a priority, with the promotion looking to develop fighters including Al-Omari while considering opportunities beyond the regional schedule. He even raised the prospect of an international atomweight tournament if enough opponents can be found for Alsaif.
“Women will continue to be a priority,” he said. “There is a lot of talent there, male and female, that is just waiting for an opportunity, and that is what we try to be.”
The night still belongs to the semifinalists, but PFL MENA’s purpose extends past Friday’s results. The league is building a route for fighters who previously had fewer chances to compete on a major broadcast card without leaving the region. Tonight offers the latest test: established names chasing finals, new faces trying to get noticed and a Saudi audience that has already shown it will choose its own stars.
“I guess this is one of those where we could create it and say, ‘All right, we’ll bring the best atomweights in the world and create a tournament,’” Mazet said. “Women will continue to be a priority.” For now, attention turns to Riyadh. Today’s winners will secure their places in the PFL MENA Finals, while the showcase bouts offer the next group of regional fighters a chance to begin building their own following.