Mohammad Alaqraa Paving the Way for Combat Sports Success in Kuwait

Mohammad Alaqraa has traveled over 7,000 miles to train with the best. He’s sacrificed a ton for his opportunity to shine on a major stage, and it’s finally starting to pay off.

Despite the initial setback of not having sponsorship to travel to the United States, Alaqraa's determination was unwavering. He applied to multiple schools and was eventually accepted on scholarship at San Jose State University. But he didn’t settle for a major that couldn’t help him as an athlete. He chose industrial engineering, a field that would challenge his mind the same way training challenged his body.

“I thought industrial engineering would help me open my businesses and help me improve my English,” Alaqraa told Sherdog.com. “It was just training and going to school. My trainers were tremendous and made sure I didn’t miss sessions while I was still studying, but now I’ve finally graduated and can focus on fighting full-time.”

Having graduated in May, the undefeated middleweight now turns his focus to the most significant fight of his career. Alaqraa (5-0) will put his unblemished record on the line when he faces Youcef Ouabbas (3-0) at 2024 PFL MENA 2 Regular Season on Friday. This fight, taking place at The Green Halls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a culmination of years of sacrifice and hard work, and a return to the Middle East that feels like poetic justice.

“This is my dream,” Alaqraa said. “In the past, when I was studying, I used to get really mad because I didn’t have much time to train the way I wanted. If you ask anyone at AKA, they’ll tell you I love to train. When we finish practice, I stay behind to ask questions. Now I have the time to train and recover and that is the dream for me right now.”

Despite balancing a heavy courseload and hours on the mat, Alaqraa didn’t let his dual life slow him down in the cage. He debuted with a second-round TKO, then followed it up with a first-round submission in his next fight. Beating opponents wasn’t the hard part. It was finding them. Alaqraa hasn’t fought since March 2023 and admits feeling discouraged regarding matchmaking. His shot in the Professional Fighters League couldn’t come at a better time.

“My last fight was over a year and a half ago, and that’s just because I couldn’t find fights,” he said. “But signing with PFL MENA presents a beautiful opportunity. I’ve been saying all my life that I’m the best in the Middle East. Since I stepped foot in AKA, I’ve believed this and that one day I’ll be the best in the world. PFL MENA is giving me a shot to prove this.”

If Alaqraa wins the eight-man tournament, he could earn a shot at competing in the 2025 PFL Season next year for $1 million. He may only have five fights on his ledger, but training at AKA allows Alaqraa to consistently face the best in the world, including Ultimate Fighting Championship pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev . Alaqraa helped Makhachev train for his lightweight title defense against Dustin Poirier and feels that Ouabbas will have his work cut out for him.

“I used to think that I was the best in the world and nobody could beat me,” Alaqraa said. “But when I first got to AKA, I wondered, ‘Why can I not beat these guys? Why can I not win here?’ I had to train for two years before I could even prove my skills. But it’s simple, iron sharpens iron.”

Alaqraa credits AKA grappling coach Ron Kessler for his development. Kessler first told Alaqraa that he could see him becoming a champion one day if he stuck with the grind. Alarqaa heeded his advice and didn’t plan on making him look foolish.

Alaqraa has lived and trained in America for a long time and has grown immensely as a fighter and a person, but his upbringing will always be his foundation. He’s proud to be from Kuwait and wants to show the world what that means.

“Kuwaitis have a powerful mindset, and when we put our minds to something, we achieve it,” he said. “We’re bred from the lionheart lifestyle. We don’t have a high level of MMA yet, but it all starts with one world champion. When you become a champion, you bring all this knowledge to your country, and it moves to the next generation. So when I do become a world champion, many champions from Kuwait will come after me.”