RIYADH: Jordan’s Abdelrahman Al-Hayassat won’t just be facing title favorite Abdullah Al-Qahtani from Saudi Arabia, but he’ll also be going against a partisan hometown crowd at the PFL MENA 3 in Riyadh on Sept. 20.
The two featherweight contenders will meet in next Friday’s semifinal main event with a chance at moving on to the PFL MENA 3 Championships on the line.
The Saudi fighter, nicknamed “The Reaper,” is undefeated in his PFL career and has been impressive in PFL MENA so far. Facing him in his hometown makes it an even bigger challenge for his opponent.
Al-Hayassat, however, says that he isn’t faced by the hostile crowd.
“Even though the fight is on my opponent’s turf and in front of his crowd, this won’t affect my morale,” he said. “The semifinal match is very important to me. Winning it will take me to the final and bring me closer to achieving the title.”
To prepare for the biggest fight of his life, Al-Hayassat took his training to another hotbed for combat sports: Thailand.
“I’ve prepared well for the fight with a 70-day training camp in Thailand, one of the best camps I’ve had. I focused on the strategy that will enable me to defeat Al-Qahtani,” he shared.
When Al-Hayassat and Al-Qahtani step inside the SmartCage, the former plans on shocking the world and silencing the Saudi fans in attendance.
“I’ve worked hard on the necessary techniques for the fight. My Saudi opponent will be surprised by my level,” Al-Hayassat said.
“He will face a different Abdulrahman than the one he knows. I’m confident that I’ll win and make it to my first final because I’ve prepared everything necessary to achieve victory,” he added.
