Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah al-Qahtani ready for big win in upcoming New York fight

Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah al-Qahtani said he is ready for a big win ahead of his upcoming fight in New York City on August 23.

The 24-year-old fighter, known as “The Ripper,” is set to take on American fighter David Zelner at the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Playoff.

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“I am preparing well. I am doing my best and more. I think this fight will be full of excitement for everyone and I hope the end result will be amazing,” he told Al Arabiya English in an interview.

PFL is the fastest growing company in MMA and the second MMA company on a worldwide basis – only second to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – with fighters from over 20 countries.

Al-Qahtani made his PFL and US debut on June 23 in a fight that made him the first Saudi Arabian fighter to win inside the league’s SmartCage.

“It is a great honor for me,” the athlete said on representing Saudi Arabia at an international scale.

Saudi MMA fighter Abdullah al-Qahtani. (Supplied)

“It is enough to raise a flag that says, ‘There is no God but Allah.’ That means a lot to me. I feel proud to carry the flag and represent everything it stands for.”

Currently, al-Qahtani is one of the few professional fighters from the Kingdom.

However, he believes that with support of the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation and its CEO Abdullah al-Hazaa, as well as with the sport’s growing popularity in the country, many more fighters will emerge from Saudi Arabia in the next few years.

“I hope with time Saudi Arabia will have one of the best MMA leagues in the world and will have more professional fighters,” he said.

Al-Qahtani believes anyone can become a professional fighter if they have the determination and will power to keep striving for their goals. He also said fighters have to keep practicing and taking part in competitions until they reach their goals.

“Anyone can join a fight and then give up when it gets tough. You have to keep going even when you feel like giving up,” he told Al Arabiya English.

Saudi MMA fighter Abdullah al-Qahtani. (Supplied)

And while he admits that he had some anxiety ahead of his debut fight, this time around al-Qahtani said he is ready for the challenge.

“Before my first fight I felt that I had to prove myself and was constantly thinking about what I needed to accomplish. And thank God I did that. This time around I am excited but there is no fear or worry,” he explained.

Al-Qahtani, who currently represents Bahraini club KHK MMA, has been training almost every day at the Riyadh Combat Club in preparation for his upcoming fight with his coaches Firas and Sergio.

Along with physical training, the young fighter told Al Arabiya English that preparing mentally for a fight is just as important to him.

“I always give myself a pep-talk while I am training for a fight. At the end of my day, whether I have trained well or poorly, I always take the time to really think about what my goals are and what I need to achieve,” he said.

“I tell myself that I need to give it my all and work hard, so that when the time for a fight comes, I can say that I trained my hardest and did the best I could no matter what the outcome is. This way, I will never say ‘oh I wish I tried harder’,” al-Qahtani added.

The fighter also told Al Arabiya English that his mother plays a big role in his success. His only pre-fight ritual is a phone conversation with her so he can listen to her encouraging words and prayers before stepping into the ring.

“She is the person who made me who I am. Even when she sees me with cuts and bruises, which may upset her, she always pushes me to be better. Even if the competition may be intimidating, it doesn’t matter who it is, she always says I can win and I can be the best,” he said.

The athlete also said he was grateful to his team at KHK MMA, Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad, Mohammed Shahid, World Talent Agency, and the PFL for supporting him throughout his fighting journey.

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