Kurdish mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Namo Fazil, known to fans as “the Grandson of Saladin,” will fight Jake Babian in a welterweight bout on the preliminary card of the Most Valuable Promotions Netflix MMA event on Saturday, May 16, 2026. 

“A moment bigger than the fight. A flag, a people, a legacy. Namo Fazil – The Grandson of Saladin – stepping onto a stage the world will watch. This is for every Kurd,” Fazil posted on his Instagram page.

The event will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA, and streams live on Netflix, which has over 325 million paid subscribers worldwide. Fazil is listed on the competition website with a Kurdish flag.

Fazil proudly represents his Kurdish heritage and has been building a loyal fan base across the Middle East.

His manager is Ali Abdelaziz, who manages the world’s top fighter, Islam Makhachev, and was previously the manager for the famous MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

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“I began my martial arts journey at the age of 15 and have dedicated my life to the sport ever since,” he told Kurdish professionals last year. “Currently, I hold a professional record of eight wins and one loss, with notable victories in promotions such as ONE Championship, UAE Warriors, and the Middle East Fighting Championship.

“To be honest, I train 16 times per week. My trainers always say, ‘go relax.’ Not only for this fight, but for every fight, I have to be ready for every fight. There are people who say they have stress before a fight,” he told the Dutch Kurdish website Koerdistan Vandaag on May 7. 

“We Kurds have been fighting against four countries for years. Our history only consists of fighting and killing. My parents fled and went through so much. Should I now be worried that I get a few punches from one white boy from California?”