The undercard for Professional Fighters League’s inaugural Road to Dubai Champions Series event on Saturday, January 25, has been released and features Hadi Al Hussaini and Youssef Al Housani from the United Arab Emirates. Coca-Cola Arena will host the main event, pitting undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion Usman Nurmagomedov versus rising Irish contender Paul Hughes.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest-growing and most innovative sports league, has released the full Road to Dubai Champions Series undercard, featuring top athletes from the United Arab Emirates and worldwide.
The marquee preliminary bout of the night will see Tarek Suleiman (13-8) square off against Ahmed “Lee” Samy (11-4). Dubai’s very own Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (5-1-1) will be looking to get back to winning ways after losing his undefeated record in his PFL debut this past July, as he fights in front of a home crowd against former RSF champion Ruel “Bagsik” Pañales (5-2).
Dubai-based fighter Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) will put his unblemished record on the line against Jordan’s experienced Jarrah “Jordanian Lion” Al-Selawe (20-7). While Dubai’s 971 Academy product John Mitchell (9-2), a five-time Irish MMA champion, will enter the SmartCage against PFL MENA’s Algerian competitor Souhil Tairi (7-5-1).
In addition, Emirati fighter, Youssef Al Housani (4-1), will face off against Egypt’s undefeated Assem Ghanem (4-0). Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Nada (9-3), riding a five-fight win streak, will face the British-Pakistani PFL debutant Haider “Darth” Khan (8-1), who has won his last four bouts.
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The undercard will also feature Dubai-based Uzbek fighter, the undefeated Mirafzal “Mirko” Akhtamov (7-0-1), who has an impressive six finishes in his career, will take on England’s knockout specialist, Mike “Lefty” Thompson (7-2), with five of his seven victories coming by way of KO/TKO.
Road to Dubai Champions Series is the inaugural “Road to Dubai” event following the signing of a groundbreaking multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Sports Council (DSC), and the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
The event will take place on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Coca-Cola Arena, located in Dubai’s City Walk and is headlined by the returning “Pride of Dagestan,” undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion, Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0). He will look to defend his title against Ireland’s Paul “Big News” Hughes (13-1), who is coming off the biggest victory of his MMA career at PFL “Battle of the Giants” after defeating AJ McKee.
The first-of-its-kind partnership will see MMA world champions and the sport’s biggest stars from the PFL compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a marquee destination for the best of MMA. All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as “Road to Dubai”, as each show culminates in the finale set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL’s commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati starfighters will now have a pathway to become future PFL Champions.
PFL is the only organisation in MMA with a sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The PFL roster boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
Road to Dubai Champions Series Main Card:
Lightweight World Title Bout: Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) vs. Paul Hughes (13-1)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Khasan Magomedsharipov (10-0) vs. Nathan Kelly (11-2)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) vs. Kenny Mokhonoana (5-1)
Bantamweight Main Card Bout: Renat Khavalov (8-0) vs. Cleiver Fernandes (9-1)
Road to Dubai Champions Series Preliminary Card:
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Tarek Suleiman (13-8) vs. Ahmed Samy (11-4)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (5-1-1) vs. Ruel Pañales (5-2)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) vs. Jarrah Al-Selawe (20-7)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: John Mitchell (9-2) vs. Souhil Tairi (7-5-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs. Assem Ghanem (4-0)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs. Haider Khan (8-1)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mirafzal Akhtamov (7-0-1) vs. Mike Thompson (7-2)
