Saudi team player Omar Nada clinched the gold medal in the under-94 kg jiu-jitsu competition, within the 20th Asian Games “Nagoya 2026”, after deciding the final confrontation against South Korean Park Seungho by submission, giving Saudi Arabia its second gold medal in the tournament.
Nada imposed his superiority in the final bout, before ending the confrontation with submission, confirming his superiority on his way to the highest Asian podium, and adding a new gold to the Saudi team’s tally in Nagoya.
After his coronation, Nada confirmed that his self-confidence increased as the training continued, noting that he entered the competitions aware of the amount of work he had put in preparing for them, after he had previously achieved a bronze medal in the last edition of the 2022 Asian Games, when he was eighteen years old.
Nada said in an interview with beIN Sports: “My self-confidence increases as I continue to train, and I knew that no one here trained more than me. In the last Games, I was 18 years old and won a bronze medal, so I have continued to train since then, and I waited three years to get here.”
He added: “It is my greatest achievement to win a gold medal in the Asian Games and dedicate this achievement to my country.”
Nada's gold medal raised the Saudi team's tally to 13 medals, with two golds, two silvers, and nine bronzes, placing it in 22nd place in the overall rankings table. The second gold medal came less than 24 hours after the show jumping team was crowned with the gold medal in the team competition, on Thursday, through Ramzi Al-Dahami, Khaled Al-Mabti, Abdul Rahman Al-Rajhi and Saad Al-Ajmi.
Saudi medals were distributed in athletics, equestrian, electronic sports, jiu-jitsu, and karate. Athletics won two bronzes, equestrian gold, e-sports a silver and two bronze, karate a silver and two bronze, while jiu-jitsu raised its tally after Nada’s gold to four medals: one gold and three bronze.
In the women's competition, Emirati Asma Al Hosani added a gold medal in the under-52 kg category for her country, after defeating South Korea's Im Eunju, maintaining the title she achieved in the 2022 Hangzhou edition. The UAE raised its tally to seven gold medals in the tournament, including five in the jiu-jitsu competitions.
After about 10 years of waiting for the confrontation and talking about the best between them, the Saudi Mustafa Nada and the Egyptian Osama Al-Saidi are preparing to resolve the challenge inside the cage, when they meet on Friday in the main fight of the semi-final evening of the Professional Fighters League for the Middle East and North Africa region “PFL MENA”, which is hosted by Boulevard City in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
While the confrontation between Nada and Al-Saeedi carries an ancient story of rivalry, the confrontation between Saudi Arabia’s Fatima Al-Amari and Algerian Aya Lounis emerged as a challenge of a different kind, after Al-Amari preferred to postpone the response to the fight, while Lounis told Asharq Al-Awsat that she felt that her opponent was “a little afraid” during the direct confrontation that preceded the match.
The fighters confirmed their readiness during the press conference and ceremonial weigh-in held on Thursday, amid anticipation for the decisive bouts that qualify for the final, in addition to exhibition confrontations that give the participants an opportunity to prove their abilities to the Saudi audience.
Nada and Al-Saeedi topped the scene with the story of their anticipated confrontation, as the Saudi fighter confirmed that the meeting carried special importance, after years of talking about what was best between them, before they had the opportunity to provide the answer inside the cage.
Nada said during the press conference: “This confrontation has a story that extends for about 10 years, and throughout this period there has always been talk about who is the best among us. Now we have the opportunity to settle the matter inside the cage. I respect Osama and what he has achieved, but I am confident in my abilities, and I will enter the fight to prove myself and provide the answer inside the cage.”
On the other hand, Al-Saidi stressed that the long wait adds additional importance to the confrontation, expressing his aspiration to end the sporting controversy against a competitor who knows his capabilities well.
He said: “We have waited for this confrontation for many years, and now it is time for us to meet face to face inside the cage. Mustafa is a fighter I admire and know his capabilities well, but the talk about the best has continued for a long time, and I believe that the fight is the appropriate place to resolve this challenge.”
In the confrontation with the women, Al-Amari chose brief language to express her readiness to meet Lounis, stressing her respect for her opponent, while leaving the decision to what she will present in the fight.
Al-Ammari told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I respect my opponent, and I do not like to prolong the conversation, and the action will take place inside the ring tomorrow, Friday.”
Confidence was also present in the speech of her mother, Lulwa Al-Ammari, who assured Al-Sharq Al-Awsat of her daughter’s readiness to deal with various possibilities, saying: “My daughter is always ready for any fight and any scenario.”
Al-Ammari confirmed during the press conference that fighting the confrontation in front of the Saudi audience gives her a special incentive, and allows her to demonstrate her development and the growing ambition of Saudi female fighters in mixed martial arts.
She said: “Every opportunity in which I fight in front of the Saudi audience holds special importance for me. I look forward to taking advantage of this confrontation to demonstrate the progress I have reached, and to present a level that reflects the work we are doing and the growing ambition of Saudi female fighters in this sport.”
On the other hand, Algerian Aya Lounis is preparing to fight her first fight in mixed martial arts, stressing that her first appearance in the “PFL” competitions in Saudi Arabia represents a milestone that she is proud of.
Lonis told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I am honored to fight my first fight in mixed martial arts and in the PFL in Saudi Arabia.”
Although she acknowledged Al-Ammari’s superiority in terms of the number of fights, Lounis expressed her confidence in the experiences she gained in different combat specializations, noting that her previous experience gives her tools to compete in her first appearance.
She added: “Fatima Al-Amari has more experience in terms of the number of fights, but I have experience in boxing, strikes, and ground wrestling, and I have previously faced champions at the Arab level.”
When asked whether Saudi fighter Hattan Al-Saif supported her during her camp, Fatima confirmed that Hattan Al-Saif’s success is part of her success, and they represent Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of MMA, and the support does not matter from where or to whom, as long as they honor the country in such forums.
The Algerian fighter raised the bar when she talked about her impression while standing face to face with Al Amari before the fight, saying: “In the direct confrontation before the fight, I felt that she was a little afraid.”
Between Al-Ammari’s confidence and Lounis’ reliance on her experiences in combat sports, the two fighters enter the confrontation with two different ambitions. Saudi Arabia to show its development to the fans of its country, and Algeria to record a strong start in mixed martial arts.
In the main joint fight, Jordanian Hazem Kayali faces Moroccan Badr Al-Din Diani for the ticket to qualify for the welterweight final, in a confrontation to which Diani’s statements to Asharq Al-Awsat added more challenge. The Moroccan fighter said: “My opponent, Hazem, is young and very excited about the fight, but I do not see him as an opponent of my level and great experience.”
Diagne confirmed during the press conference that reaching the semi-finals does not represent the ceiling of his ambition, saying: “Reaching the semi-finals is important, but the goal for me is to continue the path. I know Hazem’s potential and I respect him as my competitor, and I expect a strong fight, but I have confidence in my preparations and in my ability to achieve victory and advance to the final.”
As for Kayali, he described the match as one of his most important fights. Given the opportunity he has to move to the final, she stressed that he worked a lot to reach this stage.
He said during the press conference: “This is one of my most important confrontations, because winning means moving to the final. Badr El-Din is a strong fighter and deserved to reach this stage, and I, in turn, worked a lot for this opportunity. “I will enter the fight with full concentration, and my goal is to give my best and secure the qualification ticket.”
Diagne received the support of Egyptian Omar Al-Dafrawi, champion of the first edition of “PFL MENA”, who expressed his admiration for the appearance of rising names in the current edition, expressing his hope that the Moroccan fighter would be crowned champion.
Al-Dafrawi told Asharq Al-Awsat: “In this edition, we witnessed new rising names, but I hope that Moroccan Badr Al-Din Diani will achieve the title.”
Al-Dafrawi also talked about the work he put in to develop his level and enhance his position, adding: “I worked a lot to develop myself, and today my name is one of the best Arab names in strong fights.”
The evening will also witness an exhibition confrontation between the Saudi Redha Al-Nimr and the Bahraini Ahmed Al-Shuwaikh, as Al-Nimr confirmed that he is taking the meeting with complete seriousness, and seeks to demonstrate his skills in front of the Saudi audience.
He said: “I take every confrontation with complete seriousness, and for me this is an opportunity to present the level I have reached and demonstrate my skills in front of the audience. “Ahmed is a good competitor, and I look forward to a strong fight in which we can present a distinctive image of Arab fighters.”
In turn, Al-Shuwaikh stressed that the showy nature of the confrontation does not diminish his desire to present the best possible performance, saying: “Our presence on this evening is an important opportunity to present a confrontation worthy of the audience. I respect Reda as a fighter, and I expect the fight to be strong and entertaining. My goal is to demonstrate my abilities, benefit from this experience, and provide a level that reflects my readiness.”
For his part, Jerome Mazet, Director General of the Association, confirmed that the tournament is entering a decisive stage, with the fighters approaching the final and competing for the season titles.
He said during the press conference: “We have reached a decisive stage of the season, and the fighters are one win away from reaching the final and competing for the title. We expect strong confrontations that reflect the outstanding level presented by the participants throughout the tournament.”
Mazet praised the Saudi support for the league and its role in providing a professional platform for Arab talent, adding: “We extend our thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its continued support for the league. The Arab region is full of talent, and we have fighters from different countries who have proven their abilities and competitive levels, and we seek to continue providing a platform that gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their potential and develop at the professional level.”
After the press conference, the fighters stood face to face during the ceremonial weigh-in, in their final appearance before Friday’s fights, as Nada and Al-Saidi await the resolution of their old challenge, and the confrontation between Al-Amari and Lounis tests the promises made by the two fighters, while the participants in the semi-finals compete to continue the path towards titles.
