BRAVE CF debutant says his father was convinced of MMA success by Said Maalem’s rise to the top

TDT | Manama                   

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

With just a few days to go for Dhia Meguellati’s debut fight at BRAVE Combat Federation, the undefeated Lightweight rising star has thanked fellow Algerian and Arabian MMA superstar Mohamed Said Maalem for helping convince his martial artist father that a career in mixed martial arts was, not only viable, but also a worthy path.

Meguellati faces Mohsen Mohammadseifi in the opening bout of BRAVE CF 67, which takes place on December 12th, and admits facing resistance from his family to pursue MMA full-time - even though his father is a former pro kickboxer, and has 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.” However, the rise of Mohamed Said Maalem through BRAVE Combat Federation, as one of the biggest names in Algerian and Arabian MMA, has helped change the perspective of Dhia’s father.

‘’L’Ambiance’’ became a superstar in his native Algeria with his thunderous victories under the BRAVE CF banner and his rivalry with Mohammad Fakhreddine. Said Maalem’s success meant that Dhia finally had the approval of his father to pursue mixed martial arts, and now he looks to emulate his idol on the most global platform in 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,” says the former Algerian Kickboxing and boxing champion. “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.”

Meguellati has shown impeccable form since turning professional with three wins in three fights, all coming via TKO/KO stoppages. This week the 24-year-old will look to usher in the new era of Algerian MMA when he throws down at BRAVE CF 67.