Dhia Meguellati thanks fellow Algerian MMA star Said Maalem for inspiration

10 December 2022

With only a few days until Dhia Meguellati's BRAVE Combat Federation debut fight, the undefeated Lightweight rising star has thanked fellow Algerian and Arabian MMA legend Mohamed Said Maalem for aiding in persuading his martial artist father that a career in mixed martial arts was not only feasible but also a worthwhile path.

Meguellati, who will compete against Mohsen Mohammadseifi in the opening round of BRAVE CF 67 on December 12th, acknowledges that his family has been reluctant to support his decision to devote himself to MMA full-time, despite the fact that his father is a former professional kickboxer and holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“I come from a family of athletes. My entire family does sports. My father is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and he was also a professional kickboxer. With me being his son, I was his project, considering that he put me into training at the age of seven. When I was 13 years old, I started to do kickboxing fights, and I was the best fighter in my city. At 18 years of age, I wanted to do mixed martial arts, but my father refused because MMA was not popular in my country,” he said.

However, Dhia's father's viewpoint has changed as a result of Mohamed Said Maalem's ascent through BRAVE Combat Federation to become one of the biggest names in Algerian and Arabian MMA. With his resounding triumphs under the BRAVE CF banner and his rivalry with Mohammad Fakhreddine, "L'Ambiance" rose to fame in his home Algeria.

Dhia finally obtained his father's blessing to pursue mixed martial arts as a result of Said Maalem's success, and he now aspires to be like him on the biggest stage of the sport.

“Said Maalem caught the attention of my father. He took note of what Said Maalem had achieved. That convinced him of a place for me in the sport. From there, I started training with my current MMA coach at Berbere Gym, and I'm also proving that MMA is popular and that a good Algerian fighter can get big chances, just like Said Maalem,” he added.

Meguellati has won all three of his fights by way of TKO or KO since turning professional, displaying perfect form. The 24-year-old will compete at BRAVE CF 67 this week in an effort to start a new age in Algerian mixed martial arts.