Saudi MMA fighter Mostafa Neda finally gets big break at Madison Square Garden

• The 34-year-old from Jeddah takes on Korey Kuppe on Aug. 23 in the light-heavyweight playoffs of the Professional Fighters League

When the latest Professional Fighters League playoffs take place at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on Aug 23, one Saudi MMA fighter will be itching to get inside the octagon perhaps more than any other competitor on the PFL card.

Mostafa Rashed Neda was set to make his debut in January with the world’s second-biggest MMA competition — after the UFC — but had to pull out of the fight late in the day. It has been a long wait to finally get his shot, and now he has the chance to make up for lost time at one of the most famous venues in the world when he takes on Korey Kuppe in the light-heavyweight division.

“It’s hard to put my feelings into words,” Neda told Arab News. “I’ve been waiting so patiently for this moment, because for my previous fight, I couldn’t make the weight and I was very down after that. For me this is time to make up for that. I’m excited to represent the Kingdom and all Arabs in this fight.”

Neda has been training in Jeddah, where he was born and raised, and maintains that he prefers home comforts when preparing for a big fight.

“I like carrying out my training camp under the supervision of my (local) team,” said the 34-year-old. “I belong to a club which already has a number of wrestlers and boxers.”

The club he considers home is “Al-Muqaatel,” which means “The Fighter.”

“I prefer local training camps,” Neda added. “I’m not a fan of camps outside the Kingdom. I found that the best training programs are the ones with the team that knows me. Now we’re working for the next fight with the usual preparation and (at a) high level.”

“I practice two to three times a day,” he said. “We focus on my strong points, the ones we will utilize most in the fight. My coaches know my strengths and weaknesses, so we also work on improving some of my weaker points as well.”

Neda has a professional record of seven wins – four via knockout – and three losses, having fought regionally in BRAVE CF and UAE Warriors.

Attempting and failing to make weight for his PFL debut took a lot out of Neda physically and mentally. This time will be different, he said.

“This time around thankfully making weight is not as hard as it was last time,” he said. “I won’t take my opponent lightly. He has long limbs, and I noticed in his fights that he has a very quick leg, and he has (a) long arm reach. But I’m confident I can stop him.”

The PFL is different from other MMA competitions because it has a league format once fighters progress from the playoffs, as Neda is attempting to do. But that is of little concern to him at this point.

“I’m one of those fighters that is not bothered about the format, I’m more interested in just performing at the highest level,” said Neda, currently on a three-fight win streak. “In the end, that will prove who is the best, and it will reveal the nature of the fighter. How he fought, how he performed, and the fans can judge for themselves.”

Above all, he is proud to represent Saudi Arabia and is determined to not disappoint his country, family and fans.

“This is where the pressure and excitement comes in, which I’m trying to control,” said Neda. “I’m fighting under the flag of the Kingdom, and we have members of the team and club, students and lots of fans who are following the fight. So at the moment I’m focusing on mentality preparing myself precisely for that.”