MMA Match Preview: El Dafrawy vs. Florim Zendeli
Venue & Event Details
Location: Coca‑Cola Arena, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Time: 5:40 p.m. local (3:30 p.m. UTC / 11:30 a.m. ET)
Promotion: PFL Champions Series: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2
Division: Catchweight (Welterweight showcase)
Injury Report
Omar El Dafrawy (Egypt, 30 years old): No reported injuries; enters off a strong 2024–25 run.
Florim Zendeli (Albania, 35 years old): Cleared to fight; overcame a nasty cut in 2024 but fully fit for this bout.
Fighter Matchups
Omar El Dafrawy
Style: Aggressive striker with knockout power.
Strengths: Finishing ability, crowd energy (fighting close to home region).
Recent Form: Wins over Daniele Miceli (TKO), Mohammad Alaqraa (TKO), and Jarrah Hussein Al‑Silawi (KO) in 2024–25.
Keys to Win: Push pace early, use striking to overwhelm, avoid being drawn into long grappling exchanges.
Florim Zendeli
Style: Durable, well‑rounded fighter with strong grappling.
Strengths: Clinch control, ability to grind out decisions.
Recent Form: Wins over Daniele Miceli (TKO), Jack Grant, and Tomasz Łangowski (TKO). Defeated El Dafrawy by unanimous decision in a 2024 PFL Europe showcase.
Keys to Win: Survive early storm, drag fight into later rounds, use wrestling and control to neutralize El Dafrawy’s power.
Fight History
Previous Meeting (2024): Zendeli defeated El Dafrawy by unanimous decision (29‑28 x3) in a PFL Europe showcase.
Current Stakes: El Dafrawy seeks revenge and to prove himself on home soil; Zendeli looks to repeat his success and climb PFL rankings.
Betting Trends
El Dafrawy has finished 3 of his last 4 wins inside two rounds.
Zendeli has gone the distance in 2 of his last 3, including the prior win over El Dafrawy.
The Over has cashed in most of Zendeli’s recent fights, while El Dafrawy’s bouts often end Under due to his finishing style.
FIGHT ODDS
El Dafrawy – 240
Florim Zendeli + 190
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, October 2, 2025
