Ahmed Talal Makki
Ahmed Talal Makki built teams and competition opportunities in Jeddah before ending his professional MMA career with a submission win at home.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Lulwa Al-Anqari, interview/profile of Ahmed Makki, Asharq Al-Awsat, May1,2025; updatedMay4(opens in a new tab)
Ahmed Makki is a Saudi martial artist from Jeddah.
Where in the source: Title Saudi fighter and final-bout answer on hometown Jeddah.
Accessed:
He began sanda, Chinese kickboxing, in 1999.
Where in the source: First career paragraph, بدأ مكي مسيرته عام1999.
Accessed:
His opening into MMA came in 2006 when a professional fighter in Jeddah was looking for a training partner.
Where in the source: First career paragraph, عام2006.
Accessed:
In 2008 he co-founded Spider Team with Mohammad Al-Najjar, building a local MMA group despite limited support and facilities.
Where in the source: Second career paragraph, وفي عام2008.
Accessed:
He began coaching in 2010 and later established a martial-arts academy.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning إلى جانب مسيرته القتالية.
Accessed:
In 2012 he travelled to the United States to develop his skills at Black House and Kings MMA, working under Rafael Cordeiro.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning ولم يتوقف طموح مكي.
Accessed:
The 2025 profile recalled his European campaign as an effort undertaken without an accompanying coach or support team.
Where in the source: Paragraph naming2016Europeanjiujitsutitle, دون مدرب أو فريق داعم.
Accessed:
He personally financed the amateur championship for two years, helping create opportunities for Saudi fighters including Abdullah Al-Qahtani.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning أخذ أحمد زمام المبادرة, لعامين بتمويل شخصي.
Accessed:
Before the farewell he admitted feeling nervous because many of his followers had never seen him fight.
Where in the source: Final ownquotedanswer beginning متحمس للغاية لنزالي الأخير.
Accessed:
ArabsMMA, 5 Saudi Fighters To Fight In Front of Their Hometown Crowd in Desert Force Riyadh, March2015(opens in a new tab)
A contemporary 2015 report placed him at Black House MMA alongside Mehdi Baghdad, Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva.
Where in the source: Ahmed Makki paragraph, Makki then joined Black House MMA.
Accessed:
Thomas Albano, Saudi MMA pioneer Ahmed Makki rides into sunset with submission victory, PFL, May9,2025(opens in a new tab)
He began his professional MMA career in 2014.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph, originally turned pro in2014.
Accessed:
PFL identified him as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in May 2025.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph and final summary.
Accessed:
On May 9, 2025, he defeated Hasham Elnamer by a leg-lock submission at 2:03 of the third round in a PFL MENA lightweight showcase bout.
Where in the source: Dated articleheader and OFFICIAL RESULT.
Accessed:
His takedowns and ground control in the second round led into repeated submission attempts and the finishing leg attack in the third.
Where in the source: Full Round2 and Round3 accounts.
Accessed:
IBJJF, European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship2016, official results(opens in a new tab)
At the 2016 European IBJJF No-Gi Championship, he won the male Master 1 purple-belt lightweight division, representing Alliance.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER1 / PURPLE / LIGHT(73.50KG): 1 Ahmed Makki Alliance; 2 Georgios Tzanakis BJJGlobetrotters.
Accessed:
ArabsMMA, Saudi Fighting Championship Proves Big Success, February22,2017(opens in a new tab)
He and Mohammad Najjar founded Saudi Fighting Championship, whose opening amateur show took place at Sports Tech Gym in Jeddah on February 17, 2017.
Where in the source: Second article paragraph and Founders Ahmed Makki and Mohammad Najjar said.
Accessed:
After the first show, the founders said they wanted to add professional bouts and bring in international fighters.
Where in the source: Founders’ joint quoted statement after results.
Accessed:
Arab News, Trio of Saudi fighters looking to shine at PFL MENA1 in Jeddah, May2025(opens in a new tab)
He chose Jeddah for his final professional fight so that he could perform at home in front of his own community.
Where in the source: Makki section, I chose to have my final professional fight.
Accessed:
Arab News, More than I imagined: Ahmed Makki and Malik Basahel after PFL MENA, May12,2025(opens in a new tab)
After winning, he said the home crowd’s response exceeded what he had imagined and that he wanted the farewell to honour those who had supported him.
Where in the source: Makki passage after finalfightresult, first two ownquotedparagraphs.
Accessed:
He planned to mentor younger athletes and help develop MMA projects in Saudi Arabia after retiring from professional fighting.
Where in the source: Makki’s retirement answer beginning I’m excited to focus.
Accessed:
He also wanted to expand his behind-the-scenes media work, fight analysis and commentary.
Where in the source: Final Makkiquotedparagraph, diving deeper into social media.
Accessed:
Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage