Who Are The Top UFC Fighters From The Middle East?

One of the best things about MMA is the fact that stars from all around the planet are able to compete on a level playing field. That has been evident throughout history in UFC with stars from all four corners holding world championship gold. However, few areas have achieved as much success as the Middle East, with some of the most formidable stars in UFC history hailing from the region. This has enabled fans to feel closer to the action and has been reflected in the number of wagers made at www.arabic-casinos.org on some of the biggest events on the UFC calendar. But, who are some of the top UFC fighters from the Middle East?

Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi

One of the most dominant Middle Eastern UFC stars on the planet remains Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi. The 30-year-old, nicknamed the Jordanian Lion, competes in the welterweight division and is currently ranked as the 83rd-best fighter in that classification in the world.

Throughout the course of his career, he has amassed a professional record of 18-4-0, but he will be looking to get back in the win column after losing his previous bout by TKO against Magomed Umalatov at PFC 6. He will have the opportunity to bounce back in April when he takes on Sadibou Sy. That defeat brought an end to a four-fight winning sequence, which included stunning stoppage victories over Michael Lilly and Ismail Naurdlev.

Mounir Lazzez

Mounir Lazzez is deserving of his spot on this list, as he is one of the trailblazing stars in the Arab world when it comes to MMA. Lazzez was the first fighter born and raised in an Arab country to be signed by the UFC, and he was offered a deal with the promotion after Dana White had watched highlights of his previous bouts while out enjoying dinner. It wasn’t without its hard work though, as Lazzez began fighting when he was 15 after being bullied at school. His professional MMA debut came in 2012, and he established an impressive 9-1 record when he competed for the Super Lightweight title at Brave Combat Federation.

Lazzez made his UFC debut in July 2020, and he scored a stunning opening victory over Abdul Razak Alhassan. The fight was later awarded the Fight of the Night bonus. However, he was defeated on his return to the octagon in the opening round against Warlley Alves. He bounced back to winning ways with success against Ange Lossa, but he will be searching for another return to winning ways in 2023 after being defeated by Gabriel Bonfim by submission at UFC 283 in January.

Ali AlQaisi

Ali AlQaisi is nicknamed The Royal Fighter, and he has churned out a very productive career in MMA. The 32-year-old has won 13 of his 19 professional fights and has been a regular challenger in the featherweight division. The fighter from Jordan trains at the American Combat Gym and is ranked as the third-best fighter in the featherweight division to come out of the Middle East. Overall, he is ranked as the 130th-best featherweight in the world.

However, AlQaisi didn’t enjoy the most successful of periods in the UFC, as he was beaten on both of his appearances. His debut fight was lost by a split decision against Irwin Rivera before a unanimous defeat was suffered just two months later against Tony Kelley. However, he returned to winning ways in the middle of 2021 with a stunning TKO victory at UAE Warriors 20.

That was followed by three successive victories by unanimous decision before a doctor's intervention resulted in a loss against Jesse Arnett. However, he quickly showed that he was better than his rival when they clashed again at UAE Warriors 33. AlQaisi scored a stunning submission win in their awaited rematch, stopping the fight in the third round. However, he will be looking to maintain that excellent run in 2023, and earn himself a championship opportunity.

Final Thoughts

The future of MMA in the Middle East looks extremely bright at this point, as more stars will be looking to make the progression into some of the leading companies around the world.

The stars that we have mentioned above show that their a pathway to the top of the sport, but a first Arab-born world champion will be the dream that all young aspiring talents will be looking to achieve. Based on the success already achieved, it would be hard to bet against that happening in the coming years.