Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum has joined the Professional Fighters League’s global ownership group, reinforcing the league’s commitment to expanding its presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Sheikh Mohammed, the founding Chairman of Dubai-based Alpha MBM Investments, brings experience from sectors including sports, real estate, technology, and energy. Under his leadership, Alpha MBM has been active in supporting economic innovation and forming partnerships aligned with the long-term vision of the UAE.
Sheikh Mohammed and the PFL
Announcing his new role, Sheikh Mohammed stated, “I am delighted to join the PFL’s ownership group as I believe in PFL’s global vision to grow the sport of MMA, and I am excited by PFL’s momentum in staging world-class fight events in Dubai and the UAE region.” Earlier this year, PFL became the first international MMA organization to hold a major event in Dubai, staging the PFL Champions Series Dubai in partnership with Dubai Economy & Tourism and the Dubai Sports Council. The event was highlighted by a title fight between undefeated Russian fighter Usman Magomedov and Ireland’s Paul Hughes.
Peter Murray, CEO of PFL International, commented, “PFL is excited to welcome Sheikh Mohammed and his expertise to our ownership group. This marks another major milestone in our global expansion strategy and reinforces our long-term commitment to expanding our presence in the Middle East.” The league’s regional franchise, PFL MENA, is now in its second season and has produced regional champions such as Abdullah Al Qahtani and Omar El Dafrawy, along with women’s MMA figure Hattan Alsaif. The third event of the current PFL MENA season is expected to take place in September.
Looking ahead, PFL will continue its MENA season in September and maintain its global schedule with the PFL World Tournament and Champions Series, which are broadcast in 190 countries with support from more than 20 media partners. In addition to Usman Magomedov and Paul Hughes, the league’s roster features regional talents like Abdullah Al Qahtani, Omar El Dafrawy, and Hattan Alsaif. PFL uses a “win and advance” tournament format across its three fight products: the PFL World Tournament, PFL Champions Series, and PFL International Leagues.
PFL is broadcast and streamed worldwide. For the MENA region, all PFL MENA events are streamed live through STARZPLAY, which serves more than 2.5 million subscribers across MENA and Pakistan. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia in partnership with SURJ Sports Investment, PFL MENA continues to provide opportunities for fighters in the Middle East and North Africa to compete at an international level.
