Hattan Alsaif got used to fighting with men. Rarely shy about facing heavier, stronger opponents, she knows what it’s like to absorb blow after blow until tears begin to glisten in her eyes, her face red and hot from crying.
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 no choice but to train with and against her male counterparts when she began practicing martial arts. But in front of her MMA debut, she credits her sometimes brutal introduction to the sport as one of the reasons for her success.
“I was the only girl who did this day and night, day and night, day and night,” says Alsaif CNN Sport. “I always train with the guys, I train with the guys, I’m always with the guys at the gym.
“It’s not an easy thing, so when it comes to the cage, when I get hit by a girl, I think, ‘Wow, is that all you’ve got?’”
The 22-year-old has already made history in MMA, even before her atomweight fight against the Egyptian Nada Faheem, on Friday.
In January, Alsaif signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), becoming the first Saudi Arabian woman to join a global MMA promotion.
It was a notable moment in a country known for its socially conservative attitudes, where sporting opportunities have historically been limited for women. The Saudi women’s national football team only played his first game two years agowhile a national football league was not established until 2020.
Alsaif is acutely aware of her pioneering status for female MMA fighters in Saudi Arabia and takes this responsibility seriously.
“It’s big, to be honest, because I’m going to carry this throughout my life,” she says. “It’s a little heavy to carry, but I’m excited and proud to be the person responsible for it.”
Alsaif had a difficult upbringing, becoming an orphan at age 10 after her parents died within a short space of time. She says she struggled with depression throughout her teenage years before finding solace in martial arts, helping her discover a sense of purpose and peace.
“I didn’t have a normal childhood or an easy childhood because of the loss of my parents,” says Alsaif. “But after God, martial arts helped me a lot – so, so, so much. It changed my life 100% for the better.
“That’s why I’m so addicted to martial arts. I don’t want to stop doing [it] because that’s exactly what makes me feel alive. I feel like I’m alive when I train, when I fight, in the gym – I feel my soul is alive.
“When I breathe after rounds, when I feel bad, when I feel tired, when I feel courage, when I feel scared, those moments, every part of it, makes me feel alive. It’s something that means a lot to me.”
Growing up, Alsaif always loved extreme, adrenaline-pumping sports, and her curiosity to try something new led her to a boxing gym in her neighborhood.
This sparked her interest, but she soon discovered that the boxing classes she attended lacked rigor and professionalism. 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.
“I started looking at the guys and they were hitting the bags with kicks, elbows and knees,” she recalls. “I thought, they have more guns than I do. I only have hands [in boxing]. I was so jealous… I love doing things that have more power.”
Alsaif began competing in Muay Thai – the stand-up combat and striking sport that originated in Thailand – and won titles at the World Combat Games, the Saudi Games and the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) World Championships under the guidance from coach Feras Sadaa.
Sadaa, coach of the Saudi Arabian Muay Thai team, has been instrumental in Alsaif’s success, although his influence extends far beyond the sporting sphere.
“All these years, I never felt what [having a] father means nothing,” says Alsaif. “And he was a gift from God. He did everything with me. He helped me in every situation, in the gym or outside the gym.
“He was like family. He always told anyone else that Hattan is not just my student, Hattan is one of my children… I wish to make him very happy [and] represent him the best way I can.”
Friday’s fight card in Riyadh, headlined by Al-Qahtani, will be Alsaif’s first chance to assess whether she is capable of translating 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 women’s MMA fight in Saudi Arabia.
Last year, Saudi Arabia-owned SRJ Sports Investments Company Public Investment Fund (PIF)acquired a minority stake in the PFL, part of the PFL’s strategy to recruit more fighters and attract more fans in the MENA region.
Alsaif never imagined being a pioneer in MMA when she took her first curious steps in a combat gym, but now she says she wants to leave a legacy in the sport.
Her next fight is the first step towards achieving that goal and also an opportunity to reflect on everything she has overcome in her short stint as an MMA fighter.
She does this between rounds at the gym, wiping the tears from her eyes and remembering the effort and energy she has put into her quest thus far.
“I start looking in the mirror and think, ‘You killed yourself; Do you cry; you sacrificed everything,’” says Alsaif. “‘You’re very strong; you are your own role model’… It gives me a lot of motivation.”
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