Bracketology: 2025 PFL MENA Welterweight, Bantamweight Semifinals

Professional Fighters League’s Middle East and Northern Africa international circuit continued its 2025 tournament with the bantamweight and welterweight brackets on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at 2025 PFL MENA 2.

With three rounds of action similar to the World Tournament format, PFL MENA has now set the semifinal matchups which will be scheduled for later this year. Here’s an updated look at the brackets following the first round:

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2025 PFL MENA Bantamweight Semifinal: Islam Youssef vs. Xavier Alaoui

Youssef will be shown on highlight reels for ages after his spectacular finish against previously undefeated Benyamin Ghahreman. Youssef made the most out of his PFL debut, not only advancing to the semifinals, but with an emphatic finish that will be shown over and over. Taking the fight on less than a week’s notice, Youssef capitalized on his short-notice opportunity.

Alaoui was out for vengeance in his second year with PFL MENA after coming up short in the first round in 2024. Alaoui showed plenty of pressure, pace and high-level grappling as he controlled the fight from start to finish and would come away with the unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-27 across the board.

2025 PFL MENA Bantamweight Semifinal: Moktar Benkaci vs. Nawras Abzakh

Benkaci wasted little time in his opening round matchup against Marcel Adur, getting a body shot technical knockout in just under a minute in the opening frame. Benkaci landed multiple combos and a vicious body shot to Adur that would close the show as he fell over and the fight was called.

Abzak had his own highlight-reel finish, making him the third of the four bantamweight winners to get a TKO victory. Taking on Ali Yazbeck, Abzakh sat him down with a right hook then followed it up with grounded punches that would get him the victory. After being defeated by 2024 PFL MENA Tournament champion Ali Taleb, Abzakh gets himself into the semifinals in his second year with PFL MENA.

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2025 PFL MENA Welterweight Semifinal: Amir Fazli vs. Badreddine Diani

On a night where finishes came in bunches, Fazli landed a massive overhand right to finish Rostem Akman in the second round. The knockout victory was the fifth in seven career victories for Fazli and is a big turnaround from last year when he went 0-2 in the inaugural year of PFL MENA.

Diani would take on the previously undefeated Ahmed Abdelbast Darwish and in what was a very entertaining contest, and came away with the unanimous decision victory. After being forced to withdraw from last year’s PFL MENA semifinals due to injury, Diani is back in the semis and will have a rematch against Fazli, who he defeated last year by decision.

2025 PFL MENA Welterweight Semifinal: Mohamed Zarey vs. Mohammad Alaqraa

There was no shortage of action in Zarey’s PFL debut as he defeated Ayman Galal by unanimous decision. The victory not only improved his record to 10-1, but was his fifth consecutive win. Zarey looked at his best in the third stanza where he was using good fight IQ when the bout went to the ground, as he controlled throughout the final period.

Alaqraa was the runner-up in last year’s welterweight tournament, and came into the 2025 fold as a considerable favorite to win the whole thing. Using his powerful grappling and control, Alaqraa put on a dominant performance that didn’t include many big swing moments, and he displayed control from start to finish. The victory was the third for Alaqraa under the PFL banner.