El Dafrawy submits Miceli as PFL MENA Semifinal cast finalized in Riyadh

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The road to PFL MENA gold just got clearer after an electric night at The Green Halls in Riyadh. With the Quarterfinals in the books, 10 standout athletes moved one step closer to becoming PFL MENA Champion — headlined by an emphatic victory from the reigning Welterweight king.

El Dafrawy’s triangle seals statement win

Omar El Dafrawy proved why he’s still the man to beat in the region. The 2024 PFL MENA Welterweight Champion wasted no time in dispatching Italian veteran Daniele Miceli, locking in a tight triangle choke just 75 seconds into the main event showcase bout. Miceli attempted an early takedown but was quickly caught and forced to tap, giving El Dafrawy his 14th career win and a jolt of momentum ahead of the next PFL season.

In the co-main event, Mohammad Alaqraa showcased relentless pressure to earn a dominant 30-27 unanimous decision over Omar Hussein. The 2024 Welterweight runner-up booked his return trip to the Semifinals, where he will now face surging newcomer Mohamed Zarey.

Omar El Dafrawy celebrates his first-round submission victory in Riyadh [PFL photo]

Show-stoppers across divisions as Semifinals take shape

Zarey advanced after a gritty three-round war against Ayman Galal, while Saudi Arabia’s Hattan Alsaif remained unbeaten, stopping Lebanon’s Nour Al Fliti via second-round TKO in their Amateur Atomweight showcase. Alsaif dazzled the home crowd with a barrage of knees and kicks to extend her record to 4-0.

Over in the Bantamweight bracket, all three winners delivered memorable moments. Xavier Alaoui used elite grappling to dominate Ziad Ayman, while Mokhtar Benkaci needed less than a minute to stop Marcel Adur with a brutal body shot.

The most stunning finish of the night came courtesy of Islam Youssef, who stepped in on short notice and delivered a flying knee knockout to Benyamin Ghahreman. He advances to the Semifinals against Alaoui.

Rounding out the final four are Nawras Abzakh, who stopped previously unbeaten Ali Yazbeck in the second round, and Amir Fazli, who floored Rostem Akman with a right hand in Round 2. Fazli now sets up a rematch with Badreddine Diani, who controlled his bout against Ahmed Darwish to earn a unanimous decision.

In the opening Lightweight showcase, Abdelrahman Alhyasat impressed in his move up in weight, submitting Anthony Zeidan via rear-naked choke to stay undefeated at 6-0.