Khaberni - The 2026 season events of the Professional Fighters League for the Middle East and North Africa region will start on May 8th in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, at the Dhahran Expo.
The third season of the league will witness official competitions in the featherweight, lightweight, and middleweight categories, in addition to special matches that highlight the most prominent rising talents in a competitive atmosphere that promises to present new stories for future stars in the Middle East and North Africa.
The event will be headlined by the return of the 2025 lightweight champion, Salah El Din Hamli, who is coming back to the cage after a successful season, aiming for a strong start that confirms his continuity in the competition.
Hamli is among the most prominent names that have gained wide audience following thanks to his consistent performance and his remarkable presence inside the cage.
The audience is also anticipating the professional debut of the Saudi fighter Ahmed Al Brahim, who will fight his first professional match in front of his Eastern region audience, marking the start of his professional career and reflecting the ambition of Saudi talents to reach the highest levels of competition.
The event will also feature the participation of the Bahraini star Hamza Al Kohji, who makes his first appearance in the league competitions in the featherweight class.
For his part, Jerome Mazit, the general manager of the league, explained that the choice of Khobar to host the season opening was based on the growing passion for mixed martial arts in the Eastern region, confirming that the event brings together known champions and rising talents, and provides a distinctive sports experience for the audience.
He added that the return of Hamli, the start of the professional journey for Ahmed Al Brahim, along with the participation of Al Kohji, reflects the league's vision in supporting local fighters and creating a new generation of stars in the region.
The rest of the matches and event details will be announced in the coming weeks.
