Dubai-born Vault Fight League to debut with international MMA line-up on September 12

The inaugural VFL event will bring international fighters to Dubai as the new promotion looks to build a homegrown MMA platform with global ambitions

  • PUBLISHED: Thu 3 Sept 2026, 3:02 PM

Dubai is set to welcome a new homegrown mixed martial arts promotion this month with the launch of Vault Fight League (VFL), which will stage its inaugural event on September 12, 2026.

Taking place at The Agenda in Dubai Media City, VFL 1 will feature an international line-up of fighters including Guram Kutateladze, Jeremy Kennedy, Alim Nabiev and Mike Mathetha. The card will also feature Shakhzade Mirzaev, Yakub Sulimanov and Ndidi Alonu, among others.

The launch comes as the UAE continues to strengthen its position as a destination for international combat sports, having hosted a growing number of major MMA, boxing and other fight events in recent years.

Unlike international promotions bringing individual events to the emirate, VFL has been established in Dubai with plans to develop a locally based MMA property that can eventually expand into other markets.

Behind the new league is 18-year-old entrepreneur Zeyd Al Moosa, founder of Xeno Events Organizing & Managing LLC, who is looking to build VFL beyond a standalone fight night into a wider combat sports platform.

“I don’t want VFL to simply sign recognisable names. I want VFL to create names,” Al Moosa said.

The promotion plans to use its events to identify emerging fighters, develop new talent and build rivalries and storylines that audiences can follow over time.

Al Moosa's own interest in combat sports developed through boxing and Muay Thai, following earlier experience in volleyball. He also began running businesses at a young age, including a venture trading Pokémon cards, which he says introduced him to marketing, negotiation and community building.

For its first event, VFL is also putting an emphasis on the wider live experience, combining the fights with fighter walkouts, lighting, music and production.

The longer-term goal is to establish a Dubai-based mixed martial arts organisation capable of staging events beyond the UAE while developing fighters through its own platform.

VFL 1 will take place on September 12, 2026, at The Agenda, Dubai Media City.