The 2026 pfl-mena" class='tag-link'>PFL MENA season will not start in its traditional early May slot.
In a press release from April 9, the PFL has announced that the opening card for the PFL MENA season this year has been postponed.
The event was originally scheduled for Friday, May 8, at the Dhahran Expo in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
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"The Professional Fighters League today announced that PFL MENA 9, originally scheduled to take place in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia on May 8, has been postponed as the league finalizes updated event plans for the 2026 PFL MENA season," the statement read. "All previously announced bouts will move forward as part of the 2026 PFL MENA season opener, with updated event details, including date and location, to be announced soon.
"All ticket holders will receive a full refund, which will be processed within the next 30 days. The Professional Fighters League remains committed to the continued growth of mixed martial arts across the region and intends to return to Al Khobar later this year as part of its 2026 event calendar."
Though no reason was given in the press release, it's assumed the PFL MENA postponement is due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Last year's PFL MENA season saw Mohammad Alaqraa win the welterweight tournament title, Salah Eddine Hamli win at lightweight, Islam Reda win at featherweight, and Nawras Abzakh win at bantamweight.
The PFL's other regional-based promotion, PFL Africa, begins its second season tomorrow, Friday, April 10, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The UFC is scheduled to appear in the region on June 27 with their second UFC Baku event in Azerbaijan, as they did last June. Like the last couple of years, the UFC is also targeting Fight Night events in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. The UFC has also held an autumn pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi annually since 2019 (except the period when "Fight Island" was used during the COVID era).
The UFC has not announced any plans to postpone these plans.
