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.

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