Saudi Arabia’s pioneering combined martial artist Hattan Alsaif has withdrawn from her extremely anticipated skilled debut on the PFL MENA 2025 Championships following an damage, marking an sudden setback for the fighter who was scheduled to face Egypt’s Haidy Ahmed on December fifth in Khobar.
Hattan Alsaif Withdraws from PFL Match
The PFL launched an official assertion acknowledging the withdrawal and expressing help for Alsaif’s restoration. The assertion emphasised the dedication each athletes had dedicated to the matchup, recognizing the frustration shared by followers who had been anticipating the bout. Regardless of the withdrawal, the occasion will proceed as deliberate on December fifth on the Dhahran Expo in Al Khobar, that includes eight confirmed bouts throughout a number of weight divisions, with appearances from Saudi athletes Malik Basahel and Ahmed Albrahim.
Alsaif‘s withdrawal represents a major second in her profession trajectory. The 24-year-old was set to make her skilled debut after compiling a flawless 4-0 beginner file, highlighted by three consecutive knockout victories in 2024. Her skilled debut held huge symbolic weight not just for her private athletic ambitions however for ladies’s MMA illustration in Saudi Arabia. Previous to her PFL signing in January 2024, no Saudi girl had ever signed with a significant world MMA promotion.
The damage forcing Alsaif out stays unspecified in out there statements, although the timing comes after months of intense coaching and preparation. The fighter had been coaching extensively to make her skilled debut an announcement second, notably given her achieved fight sports activities background. Earlier than getting into MMA, Alsaif earned a gold medal on the 2023 Worldwide Federation of Muay Thai Associations World Championships and captured gold on the World Fight Video games that very same yr. Her early boxing ventures started in 2021, and she or he transitioned to MMA whereas persevering with her placing work underneath the steering of Saudi Muay Thai coach Firas Saadi.
Ahmed, Alsaif’s scheduled opponent, carries a 2-1 skilled file and hails from Cairo, Egypt. The atomweight bout was positioned as a showcase bout separate from the PFL MENA match format, which generally options championship fights and match eliminations throughout welterweight, light-weight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions. Ahmed has competed in Egyptian regional promotions earlier than, amassing her 2-1 file by means of numerous combat organizations.
The PFL assertion expressed confidence in Alsaif’s restoration prospects, indicating the group views this as a short lived setback fairly than a career-defining second. The fighter has demonstrated bodily and psychological fortitude all through her profession, having skilled at specialised services together with camps in Thailand alongside different PFL athletes. Her health club expertise spans sparring with male fighters considerably heavier than herself, an strategy she credit with strengthening her aggressive edge.
Whereas the December fifth occasion will proceed with out Alsaif’s participation, the PFL has maintained its dedication to that includes eight confirmed bouts on the cardboard. The championship fights in welterweight, light-weight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions stay scheduled, with Mohammad Alaqraa defending his welterweight match place towards Badreddine Diani, and Salah Eddine Hamli dealing with Mohammad Fahmi for the light-weight title. Every championship bout presents a $100,000 purse alongside the divisional championship belt.
