this post was submitted on 11 May 2024
2 points (66.7% liked)

Middle East and North Africa

80 readers
11 users here now

Rules:

Rule 0. Comments must be on topic, off topic comments lead to immediate ban. Off topic comments are any comments that will lead to diverging from the post's topic. If you want to discuss something post about it.

Rule 1. No refutation without a source. Any bias against MENA sources could lead to a ban if not backed with evidence. The burden of proof is on you.

Rule 2. This community is first and foremost for people from the region. Foreigners trying to justify military intervention or genocide are not welcomed.

Breaking of these rules may result in a 500-3000 day ban.

founded 10 months ago
MODERATORS
top 1 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


As one of the few women at her gym in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – and the only woman hopeful of fighting at an elite level – Alsaif had little choice but to train with and against her male counterparts when she first took up martial arts.

In January, Alsaif signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), making her the first woman from Saudi Arabia to join a global MMA promotion.

Then, after seeing videos of Saudi MMA fighter Abdullah Al-Qahtani on social media, the pair exchanged messages and Alsaif was invited to try the sport for herself.

Sadaa, coach of Saudi Arabia’s Muay Thai national team, has been central to Alsaif’s success, though his influence extends far beyond a sporting sphere.

Friday’s fight card in Riyadh, headlined by Al-Qahtani, will be Alsaif’s first chance to assess whether she is able to translate her Muay Thai prowess into success in an MMA cage.

The event, part of the PFL’s growing prominence in the region, will feature fighters from across the Middle East and North Africa, less than three months since Claressa Shields and Kelsey De Santis contested the first professional female MMA bout in Saudi Arabia.


The original article contains 1,028 words, the summary contains 197 words. Saved 81%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!