After losing his PFL MENA semi-final effort to Abdalrahman Alhyasat, Abdullah Al-Qatani was preparing for a lengthy break to regroup for next season.
The Saudi Arabian featherweight had been defeated once before; a razor-close split decision to Iler Bakhtiyar Uulu, but the defeat to Alhyasat was much more convincing. The sting of what had happened, coupled with a broken rib from which he needed to recover, had him cursing a difficult year.
However, just weeks before the PFL MENA finals were due to take place in Riyadh, he learned that the original finalist Islam Reda had been injured and he accepted a spot in the finals. And despite a last-second opponent change, he persevered and won the gold, as well as the $100,000 prize.
Abdullah Al-Qahtani defeated Maraoune Bellagouit to win PFL MENA title in short notice switch
After initially agreeing to rematch the unbeaten Alhyasat in the finals, Al-Qahtani learned that his old rival wasn’t going to be able to make weight. So his fellow beaten semi-finalist Maraoune Bellagouit was drafted in and the pair did battle in Riyadh.
Al-Qatani landed a quickfire knockout in the first, much to the delight of the home crowd. He is now the PFL MENA featherweight champion, and says the victory was the highlight of his young career.
“I was in my country and I had just been dreaming of the belt,” he told BloodyElbow in an exclusive chat. “I won the belt, land a first round knockout, and it was a dramatic knockout, and I took the belt and it was just ‘wow’.
“Also, the fact it was in Saudi Arabia, I could hear all of the people going crazy. It was definitely something big.”
Abdullah Al-Qahtani will buy his mother a car with his $100,000 PFL winnings
After taking victory in any of the big-money PFL events, questions often turn quickly to how the winner will spend their cheque. Dakota Ditcheva is going big on Christmas presents this year, and Impa Kasanganay famously opened up a gym in Florida.
For Al-Qatani, he plans to parlay his winnings into more money, once he has bought one big gift for his mother. “First, I’m waiting until the money actually comes to my bank account,” he explained. “Second thing, I am going to buy for my mum a good car.
“Then I’ll put my money in good things and invest. I also want to work towards next year. If I have money, I feel safe. But if I have no money then I am really hungry for this, I feel like I want to die for this.”
Abdullah Al-Qahtani wants one more year before attacking PFL Global season
After winning MENA gold, Al-Qahtani is keen to get a rematch with the man who defeated him in the semi-finals. And once that is done, he’s in no rush to sprint through to the global season just yet, wanting to continue his development.
“If they want to put me in the PFL MENA and I can take another belt, that’s ok for me Inshallah,” he noted. “If they want to put me in showcase fights on the global season or whatever, I want this also because I want to make more fights.
“I want some good highlights for my fights, and I want to be the best in the world and fight the best in the world and that’s it… I want to go back to America for a good camp or maybe a fight, I want to go and honestly I really need to go.”
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