Elias Boudegzdame: Meet Algeria's smiling assassin who wants to make MMA history

The first thing you see when you look up Elias Boudegzdame’s profile on Tapology.com is a picture of him, arms folded and grinning from ear to ear. It’s no wonder he’s nicknamed ‘Smile.’

The Algerian Mixed Martial Arts fighter has competed across the top promotions in the Middle East and was the first-ever featherweight world champion in one of the region's prominent promotions.

As attention turns to the inaugural season of the Professional Fighters League – PFL MENA, on May 10th in Riyadh, the North African star will be looking to represent his country in style at Mena’s MMA League when he takes on Egypt’s Hassan Mandour ( 9 wins-5losses ) in the bantamweight season bracket.

A historic occasion for a historic fighter, the dawn of the PFL’s march into the region is a huge deal for the sport. The promotion is home to global stars like Francis Ngannou and this is the first time a major international organisation has engineered a show with the sole aim of promoting Middle East and North African fighters.

Hailing from the picturesque town of Boumerdes, Algeria, on the Mediterranean Sea, Boudegzdame has emerged as one of the best fighters in the region.

Now based in Montpellier, France, he has dedicated himself to honing his skills and representing his homeland with pride. Despite thriving in Europe, the Algerian icon retained deep-seeded Middle Eastern values – and family means everything. Behind him stands his coach and brother Amine. The older sibling is the one who introduced him to MMA and had him battling against UFC veterans at their famed gym in Southern France – ‘La Bonne Ecole.’

No stranger to the grind, the 30-year-old is leaving no stone unturned to ensure he makes a splash when he touches down in Saudi.

“I've been intensively training every day for this tournament. I have a deep passion for this sport, and I chose professional combat sports because it's not just about physical training; it requires mental fortitude too," he said.

• Watch PFL Mena event on MBC Action and Shahid