Mohammad Fakhreddine brings landmark MMA career to an emotional close

Lebanon’s Mohammad Fakhreddine has retired from mixed martial arts after a distinguished career that established him as one of the Arab world’s leading fighters.

Fakhreddine announced his decision following his appearance at the DF UNCAGED event at the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman, Jordan, on Friday evening. He faced Welsh fighter John Martin Fraser on the event’s preliminary card.

The Lebanese fighter was stopped by technical knockout (TKO) from punches in the first round. After the referee ended the contest, Fakhreddine removed his gloves and placed them in front of him inside the cage to signal the end of his career.

He then dropped to his knees in tears as the crowd responded with sustained applause around the Roman Amphitheatre.

Fakhreddine leaves the sport having played a significant role in raising the profile of Arab mixed martial arts on the international stage. His most notable achievements came in BRAVE CF, where he won world titles in two different weight divisions.

That feat made him the first fighter in the organisation’s history to become champion in two weight classes.

His run of major successes began in September 2020, when he claimed the middleweight title by defeating Brazil’s Daniel Pereira by technical knockout. Two years later, he added the light-heavyweight championship after beating Algeria’s Mohamed Said Maalem.

Fakhreddine returned to the top of the organisation in June 2025, regaining the middleweight belt with a first-round knockout victory over Croatia’s Erko Jun. The win further underlined his status among BRAVE CF’s leading fighters.

His standing extended beyond his championship record. In October 2025, BRAVE CF announced that Fakhreddine would be inducted into the organisation’s Hall of Fame.

The honour recognised both his achievements and his contribution to the development of mixed martial arts in the region.

His retirement brings to an end the career of one of Lebanon and the Arab world’s most prominent fighters. Across his time in the cage, Fakhreddine built a record defined by titles and victories while helping to establish Arab fighters on the global mixed martial arts stage.