5 of the best Middle Eastern fighters of all time

The Middle East is becoming a mixed martial arts hotbed. UFC events in the region like UFC Saudi Arabia held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, fight island cards on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, and the infusion of the area's top talent in major fight promotions have all helped make MMA one of the fastest rising sports in the Middle East.

Bahrain's MMA promotion, Brave CF was founded in 2016 and has established itself as one of the leading promoters of Middle Eastern prospects. UAE Warriors, founded in 2012, also showcases stellar newcomers, further cementing MMA's growing popularity.

Top fight promotions have only recently begun dipping into the Middle East's vast talent pool. Though the sample size of notable fighters is ever-growing, the region's impact on the sport is more apparent after each event.

With many great fighters breaking through and earning opportunities in promotions like the UFC, it's time for the MMA world to reckon with this new breed of talented contenders. MMA is about as international a sport as there is and it is good to see a historically underrepresented region have stars to point to. These are the best Middle Eastern MMA fighters to step into the cage.

5. Mohammad Fakhreddine

Lebanon's Mohammad Fakhreddine (16-5) is already one of the Middle East's most notable fighters, despite the fact he is still establishing his reputation outside his native region. He holds the distinction of being the first-ever MMA double champion of Arab origin. He achieved this feat in 2022 by defeating Mohamed Said Maalem (12-6) for the Brave CF light heavyweight title. Fakhreddine entered the fight already the middleweight champion before knocking his rival out early into the second round.

Fakhreddine made a name for himself in the defunct Middle Eastern promotion Desert Force. He then moved on to Brave CF, further cementing himself as a powerful knockout artist. To date, he's collected 13 chins across notable organizations.

The 40-year-old Fortis MMA product hasn't achieved star status in the United States. He participated in the 2023 PFL season but quickly succumbed to Marthin Hamlet (12-5) via first-round submission due to a nasty face crank. It's a shame this is all Western audiences have glimpsed of Fakhreddine so far, as he is a dynamic knockout artist.

Fakhreddine's efforts and regional success are nothing to scoff at. The deadly striker is one of the Middle East's most prominent talents. Given his age, it remains to be seen whether or not he will have more opportunities to prove himself outside his native region. However, it can't be doubted his success and combat sports prowess will inspire Middle Eastern athletes to pursue MMA.

4. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady

Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-4) represents Palestine as proudly as any fighter the Octagon has seen. The 29-year-old lightweight may have dropped his UFC debut to Loik Radzhabov (18-6-1) but remains one of the most exciting prospects in a talent-rich lightweight division.

Al-Selwady was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but moved to Jordan at 13. His interest in MMA grew in childhood and by the time he left Jordan for Dallas, Texas, a career in professional fighting was his goal. He made his pro-MMA debut in 2012 with Desert Force and hasn't looked back. Brave CF was Al-Selwady's next stop and he made the most of his time there, earning the lightweight title by defeating Lucas Martins (22-7) in 2018. Further stints in Fury FC established Al-Selwady as a budding star.

His reputation earned him a spot in Dana White's Contenders Series in 2023. He made good on his hype and earned a UFC contract by defeating the highly talented George Hardwick (12-2) by unanimous decision.

Though things have yet to fully click for Al-Selwady, he remains a dangerous prospect with potential. It remains to be seen if he makes good on his hype, but his accomplishments thus far establish him as one of the most notable fighters to rise from the Middle Eastern scene thus far.

3. Reza Madadi

Reza Madadi (14-6) was born in Iran but spent a great portion of his life in Sweden. Even so, he is one of the first major fighters of Middle Eastern origin to make a run in the UFC. He competed as a lightweight in his MMA career. His smothering wrestling game led him to eight submission victories and 11 overall finishes. His durability is especially notable, as he was never finished in 20 career fights spanning from 2006-2019.

Madadi's combat sports journey began with wrestling. He competed in the sport throughout his youth in Iran and continued after moving to Sweden. His skill skyrocketed him to two Swedish national wrestling titles in 2002 and 2003. Grappling success made it so that Madadi was almost destined to transition to MMA. He won 11 of his first 13 professional fights before starting with the UFC in 2012. He won his debut at UFC on Fuel TV 2 in Stockholm, Sweden by finishing Yoislandy Izquierdo (13-5) by second-round guillotine choke.

Madadi had a mixed run in the UFC, going 3-4 with the promotion and having his final fight in 2017. His most notable victory came against Michael Johnson (22-19) via third-round d'arce choke in 2013. Madadi was a late starter in MMA, and one could only speculate how much more success he could have had if he had been drawn to the sport sooner.

2. Amir Albazi

Amir Albazi (17-1) is one of the most notable combat athletes of Iraqi origin competing today. He is currently ranked No. 3 in the UFC flyweight division, having made a name for himself as a slick submission artist with nine in his career thus far.

The 30-year-old was born in Baghdad, Iraq but sought refuge as a child with his family in Syria and eventually Sweden. Bullying led Albazi to get into a lot of fights in his youth. MMA eventually caught his eye during this time and it seemed the perfect outlet for the budding warrior. Brazilian jiu-jitsu was Albazi's gateway. He honed his submissions, capturing titles around Europe till making his professional debut in 2009 at only 15. His reputation grew with each success and garnered attention from organizations such as Brave CF and Bellator.

2020 was a key year for Albazi, as he became the first Iraqi fighter in UFC history. He made good on his debut, submitting Malcolm Gordon (14-8) with a first-round triangle choke. Positive results have followed Albazi since, as he's won five straight UFC fights including a tight main event decision victory over the ever-dangerous Kai Kara-France (24-11)(1) in his most recent 2023 bout.

Albazi was unfortunately injured out of his UFC Fight Night 237 opportunity against former champion Brandon Moreno (21-8-2) but remains a top contender. Albazi's stock rises with each victory and he's on the precipice of becoming the most notable Iraqi MMA fighter to date.

1. Belal Muhammad

No other fighter in MMA history has represented Palestine or the Middle East at large with more pride than the UFC welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad (24-3)(1). Muhammad was born in Chicago, Illinois to Palestinian parents. He represents his heritage honorably, carrying the Palestinian flag out to the Octagon when able and dedicating his UFC 304 title victory over fierce rival Leon Edwards (22-4)(1) to his people. He said in his post-fight interview, "This fight is nothing. This is for my family, my people in Palestine. They're fighting the real fight."

Muhammad was a solid high school wrestler at Bogan High School. It was there he caught the combat sports bug that eventually led him to make a professional MMA debut in 2012. He accumulated a 9-0 record after stints in Bellator and Titan FC, which eventually landed him a contract with the UFC in 2016.

An inauspicious start accompanied Muhammad to the Octagon, as he dropped two of his first three fights before winning 14 of his next 16 including his eventual title victory. Muhammad has taken out some of the most deadly welterweights fighting today including Gilbert Burns (22-7), Stephen Thompson (17-7-1), and Sean Brady (16-1). The results of diligent training and game planning are evident. Muhammad's camps with the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) have only made him a more well-rounded athlete.

Muhammad gained heavy exposure in 2021 after accepting a short-notice main event spot against Edwards while both were considered contenders on the rise. Muhammad, unfortunately, suffered a devastating second-round eye poke and couldn't continue fighting. However, the next couple of years proved Muhammad's resolve as he went on to capture five straight victories en route to rematching Edwards. He made good on his next two main event spots, avenging an earlier loss to Vicente Luque (22-10-1) in 2022 and finally breaking through as champion in the UFC 304 main event.

Smothering grappling, a nonstop pace, and enough heart and resolve to pack an arena have made Muhammad the best current welterweight and the best Middle Eastern fighter of all time. He has many challenges ahead and at 36 years old, still has leeway to further establish his legacy.