Patrick Habirora at PFL Dubai: the undefeated fighter faces his real test

From Namur to Dubai, nine fights without a single defeat

Patrick Habirora was born on March 26, 2001, in Namur. He has lived in Brussels since he was 19 and trains there with Tarek Bensaidane, the coach he met at 17 at a club in Woluwe. The rest is in the numbers.

In 2023, in Tirana, he became the first Belgian IMMAF amateur world champion. A pro since January 2024, he now boasts 9 wins, 0 losses, including 8 by stoppage. His PFL record is perfect: 5-0. His nickname says it all about his style: The Belgian Bomber.

Outside the cage, the Bomber walked at Paris Fashion Week in January 2026 and features on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Belgium list. He shared his guiding principle with Forbes: “I have never seen an obstacle as a dead end, but always as an opportunity.” Dubai is one such opportunity—and a big one.

Back to his roots: Patrick Habirora’s Project X Paris shoot in Namur.

The Belgian Bomber in the new Project X Paris collection, just days before PFL Dubai.

El Dafrawy: the Belgian Bomber’s first real test

On May 23, 2026, in Brussels, Habirora stopped Benson Henderson in 20 seconds. A right hand, a left hook, three ground strikes, in front of around 10,000 spectators.

It was his third consecutive first-round KO against a former UFC fighter. Before Henderson, there was Danny Roberts in July 2025, followed by Frenchman Kevin Jousset, stopped in 2 minutes 42 seconds in Lyon in December 2025. But against a 42-year-old veteran, some fans felt the test was too easy.

Read also: Patrick Habirora vs Benson Henderson: the fight that also puts Project X Paris on the PFL stage

Omar El Dafrawy, on the other hand, is no walkover. The 31-year-old Egyptian, nicknamed GodFirst, has 16 wins and 6 losses, including 9 by KO and 3 by submission. He became the first PFL MENA welterweight champion in 2024.

Ranked No. 5 among PFL welterweights, just behind Habirora (No. 4), he comes in on a two-fight winning streak. Most importantly, he has been KO’d only once in his career. He also knows the Coca-Cola Arena, where he has already fought in October 2025. This is the real hurdle.

What time and where can you watch Habirora on Saturday?

In France, the event will be broadcast live on RMC Sport, which has held PFL rights since February 2026. The prelims start at 3 p.m. Paris time. The main card follows at 7 p.m.

The only uncertainty is the broadcast start time. The RMC Sport PFL page lists 8:30 p.m.; other outlets say 6 p.m. Check the channel schedule on Saturday before settling in.

Habirora is fighting in the co-main event, so he is second-to-last on the card. UFCalendar estimates his walkout at around 8:20 p.m. This is only an estimate: a quick KO in an earlier fight could move the whole schedule up.

In Belgium, ABX will broadcast the entire card live from 3 p.m., with Ludovic Boulvin and Oki Bolaji providing commentary. In the United States, the event will be on the ESPN App.

Our prediction: Habirora by KO, on one condition

The bookmakers have made their call. As of November 11, UFCalendar’s average odds have Habirora at -641 and El Dafrawy at +433. The gap has even widened in the Belgian’s favor since the odds opened.

Ludovic Boulvin, president of the Belgian MMA federation, says much the same in DH: “Personally, I see him coming out on top.” We share that view: Habirora by KO, within the first two rounds.

It all comes down to one round. El Dafrawy promises a spectacle and says he is ready for a long fight. If he survives the first five minutes and manages to take the Belgian to the ground, the scenario changes. The Bomber has already shown he can go the distance, with a decision win and a third-round KO on his record. On Saturday, the whole MMA world will be watching to see if he clears this hurdle.