Jordan’s Roman Theatre to host 14-bout DF UNCAGED MMA spectacular

Amman’s 1,900-year-old Roman Theatre will stage Desert Force’s DF UNCAGED mixed martial arts event on 30 October, with 14 professional bouts featuring fighters from 16 countries.

The show forms part of Jordan’s Mixed Martial Arts Week and will include four Jordanian competitors, who will seek victory in front of a home crowd at one of the capital’s most historic landmarks.

The event also marks the return of Zaid Mirza and Mohammad Mirza, the brothers behind Desert Force. Zaid founded the organisation in Amman in 2010, while Mohammad developed it into one of the region’s leading professional platforms and its first major specialist MMA organisation.

Although the event is being held under the new DF UNCAGED name, the brothers’ involvement revives memories of Desert Force’s role in establishing Arab MMA and showcasing some of the region’s leading fighters.

Brakhamov and Schiro headline

The main event will see Russian fighter Muhammad Barkhamov face American Dante Schiro in a 176lb catchweight contest.

Barkhamov, a former ACA welterweight champion, enters with a record of 17 wins and three defeats. His game is built around combat sambo, takedowns and submissions.

Schiro has recorded 13 victories and six losses, and is known for his fitness and relentless pressure.

The middleweight co-main event features 38-year-old American Andrew Sanchez, a former UFC fighter and winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 23. Sanchez has a record of 14 wins and nine defeats and will meet attacking Russian fighter Mikhail Ragozin, who has 25 wins and seven losses.

Lebanese veteran Mohammad Fakhreddine will also make his anticipated return. The 42-year-old became the first fighter in BRAVE CF history to hold titles in two weight divisions, winning the middleweight belt in 2020 and the light-heavyweight title in 2022. He regained the middleweight championship in 2025.

Fakhreddine, who has 18 wins and five defeats, returns to the city where his career first gained prominence. He will face 34-year-old Welsh fighter John Martin Fraser, whose record stands at 11 wins and six losses and who has previously competed in Cage Warriors and UAE Warriors. Their bout is set for a 202lb catchweight.

Event schedule and full card

The week begins with a press conference at Amman’s Citadel on 27 October. Fighters will then take part in an open training session on the Dead Sea Corniche on 28 October, before the official weigh-in at the Odeon Theatre on 29 October.

The main card also includes Fares Al-Raimi against Salman Hantous at bantamweight, Romero Cotton against Ezequias Glaim at middleweight, and Abdullah Jawish against Islam Shalouti at featherweight.

The preliminary bouts are Tamerlan Dulatov v Levi Carriel, Mohammad Fakhreddine v John Martin Fraser, Kurban Zinukov v Gilson Nogueira, Zafar Rashidov v Daui Chou, Kurban Ali Zinukov v Catalin Safta, Ratibor Yashchenko v Roy Chen, Farih Harahsheh v Abdelhafiz Bendari, Zaki Kayali v Abbas Haddad, and Yazan Balawi v Issam Azlhad.

Doors open at 17:00 local time, with the main bouts scheduled for 21:00. The event will be broadcast live and free on MBC Action, combining professional competition with Jordan’s heritage in an effort to promote the country as an international sports tourism destination.