PFL MENA 9: Mehdi Saadi outstrikes Mohammad Yahya in main event

The Professional Fighters League MENA held its ninth event on Sunday, with tournament action in the lightweight and featherweight divisions. In the main event, Mehdi Saadi secured a split decision victory over Mohammad Yahya, advancing to the semi-finals of the 66kg tournament. Saadi's striking output proved decisive across the bout, allowing him to edge out Yahya on the judges' scorecards despite competitive exchanges throughout.

The co-main event featured a lightweight tournament clash between Salah Eddine Hamli and Ylies Djiroun. Djiroun (25-9), known by the nickname "Broly," displayed sharp striking at range that kept Hamli (11-1) at distance. While Hamli found occasional openings in the clinch and sought to drag Djiroun to the mat, he struggled to establish control on the ground. As space opened up in the striking exchanges, Djiroun's superior boxing came through. He landed telling body shots that visibly affected Hamli, then finished the bout with ground-and-pound before the referee stopped the action. Djiroun's striking-heavy approach proved too much for Hamli's clinch-and-wrestling game plan, as the PFL MENA tournaments continued to produce decisive finishes.