Kuwait's Mohammad Al Aqraa out to show he is the best fighter in Middle East on PFL debut

California-based fighter, who has trained with stalwarts like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, in action in Riyadh on Friday

Mohammad Al Aqraa. Photo: PFL

Mohammad Al Aqraa will step into the spotlight for the first time in more than 18 months when he takes on Youcef Ouabbas in the welterweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Mena 2 in Riyadh on Friday.

Al Aqraa was last seen in action at the UAE Warriors 40 in Abu Dhabi on March 2023. The California-based Kuwaiti is undefeated in five professional fights and takes on Ouabbas, the Algerian fighting out of France, who is also undefeated in three appearances.

It will be an interesting contest to see who keeps their unblemished record intact in the co-main event in the 11-fight card headlined by the middleweight clash between Rashed Neda and Abdel Rahmane Driai.

Al Aqraa trains at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) under long-time head coach Javier Mendez and former UFC champion Cain Velasquez. He also has trained with former UFC middleweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and said it was an “honour” to sign up with PFL.

“They did a really good thing with PFL Mena to put all the best Middle East fighters in one tournament to find out who is the best out of the lot,” Al Aqraa told The National.

“So, it's nice. It’s really cool. I'm so happy to be there, to be part of this amazing thing.”

Having started his combat sports journey in judo and kickboxing in Kuwait, Al Aqraa moved full time to MMA after joining AKA in 2017 at age 17.

There, he was pushed into the deep end straightaway to face Nurmagomedov and the current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

“In my mind, I do believe iron sharpens iron,” he said of his training with arguably two of the best MMA fighters of the past decade.

“When you surround yourself with good environments, good people who push you to your limit, this is so important.

“I have to keep improving. I do believe you don't stop training when you don't have a fight. My last fight was a year-and-a-half ago, but I never really stopped training. It is like, every day is like I have a fight.”

Al Aqraa believes PFL Mena offers him a chance to prove that he is the best mixed martial artist in the Middle East.

“When they trying to find me a fight, they couldn't,” he pointed out. “When PFL came in, my coach Javier was like, 'this is the best thing for you'. He has been always telling me that ‘you are the best fighter in the Middle East’ but no one actually knows that.

“No one is going to believe it until they see it in the ring or the cage. So, when I saw PFL Mena, I was like, this is my time to shine.

“That's why I signed with them because the fights are already set. You have a fight right now. When you finish this fight, you go to another one, then a third. At least I'm going to have three fights this year, which is amazing.”

Al Aqraa said training with the likes of Nurmagomedov and Makhachev has instilled in him an unshakable discipline and given him an insight on what it takes to be the best.

“Khabib doesn't know anything about mercy. He doesn't know what stop means. He doesn’t understand it," Al Aqraa said. "I think he pushed us so hard that we are that close to passing out. I'm not even kidding about that.

“I think he goes this hard on us because he cares about us. We’re learning it from him every day. And whenever I have a question, I text him and at the same time he answers and he helps me. Because if I have a question about grappling, who should I ask other than the best in the world?"

On sparring with Makhachev, he added: “You learn a lot from Islam especially because he's the most well-rounded fighter in the world or in the history of this sport, to be honest.

“I used to follow him when he was a UFC contender, he wasn’t a champion at that time and I saw him becoming a champion. It's like when you believe something and you see it with your own eyes, it's different.

“It's not like some guy who just achieved this goal. It’s your friend who achieved his goal. You have seen him while he was growing up and becoming a champion.

“I remember when he became a champion, that day I didn't sleep. I was just smiling the whole time. ‘He made it. I will make it’ was my thought. I was so happy for him.

“Many things I can take from him, Islam and these top guys, they know all the smallest details because they're the best. I'm so happy I'm surrounded by them.”

Al Aqraa left his home for the US at age 17 to study – he graduated in industrial system engineering from San Jose State University last year – and pursue his MMA career full time.

He made his MMA amateur debut in the West Coast Elite 3 and Dragon House 32, winning both his fights in California.

Al Aqraa made a winning start against Mexican Rodrigo Reyes in his first professional appearance in the Ultimate Warrior Challenge in February 2021 before stretching his winning streak to five after four appearances in the UAE Warriors in Abu Dhabi from February 2022 to July 2023.

“I’m grateful to UAE Warriors for providing me the platform. The PFL Mena for the regional fighters is a big thing,” he added.

“I do believe Arabs and the Middle East, we have really big talents, but you just need to put the lights on them.”