Mounir Lazzez (born November 16, 1987) is a Tunisian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competes in the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. A professional fighter since 2012, he is the first fighter that was born and raised in an Arab country to be signed to the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Background

Born in the major port town of

Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterranean ...

in the South East of

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, it was Mounir Lazzez highlights that lead to him being the first fighter that was born and raised in an

Arab country The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...

to be signed to the

. Indeed, it was after Dana White watched Mounir Lazzez highlights whilst sitting in a restaurant that he was so impressed that he decided to sign him to the UFC. A friend of Lazzez had recognized the UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

at a restaurant in Las Vegas in the United States of America and took the opportunity to show Mounir Lazzez highlights to him, and White being immediately impressed by the footage took the next steps to sign him to the UFC as soon as possible. He started MMA classes at the age of 15 in Tunisia, when his parents decided to put him in martial arts because he was being bullied. After competing on the regional and national level, he moved to Canada to focus on his wrestling, spending from 2009 until 2011 there until a business opportunity lured him to Dubai.

Mixed martial arts career

Lazzez made his professional debut in 2012 and compiled a 9–1 record fighting for a variety of Middle Eastern promotions, most notably

Brave Combat Federation BRAVE Combat Federation is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in the Middle East. The organization was established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. BRAVE Combat Federation features mixed martial artists from mor ...

, where he competed for the Super Lightweight title, losing the fight unanimous decision to Eldar Eldarov.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Lazzez faced

Abdul Razak Alhassan Abdul Razak Alhassan (born August 11, 1985) is a Ghanaian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2013, he formerly fought in Bellator and Legacy Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts ...

on July 16, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige. At the weigh-ins, Alhassan weighed in at 174 pounds, 3 pounds over the welterweight non-title fight limit. He was fined 20% of his purse which went to Lazzez and the bout proceeded at catchweight. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the ''Fight of the Night'' bonus. Lazzez, as a replacement for

Christian Aguilera Christian Aguilera (born November 25, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division. He formerly fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Growing up, Aguilera did a little bit of taekwondo an ...

, faced

Warlley Alves Warlley Alves Andrade (born 4 January 1991), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2011, Warlley made a name for himself fightin ...

on January 20, 2021 at UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny. He lost the fight via first round TKO. Lazzez was scheduled to face

Niklas Stolze Niklas Stolze (born December 28, 1992) is a German mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2014, he most notably competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Stolze began his caree ...

on July 31, 2021 at UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland. However, Lazzez pulled out just a few days before the event due to visa issues and was replaced by Jared Gooden. Lazzez was scheduled to face

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (born November 12, 1986) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He was the former Jungle Fight welterweight champion in Brazil and currently competes in welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). ...

on April 16, 2022 at UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2. However, Zaleski dos Santos withdrew the week of the fight and was replaced by Ange Loosa. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Lazzez faced Gabriel Bonfim on January 21, 2023 at

UFC 283 ''UFC 283: Teixeira vs. Hill'' is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on January 21, 2023, at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event will mark the p ...

. He lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

** Fight of the Night (One time) * Desert Force Championship **Desert Force Welterweight Championship (One Time)

Personal life

Association with Daniel Kinahan

Lazzez is reportedly close to Irish reputed gang boss and

boxing promoter A promoter works with event production and entertainment industries to promote their productions, including in music and sports. Promoters are individuals or organizations engaged in the business of marketing and promoting live, or pay-per-view ...

Daniel Kinahan Daniel Joseph Kinahan (born 25 June 1977) is an Irish boxing promoter and suspected crime boss. He has been named by the High Court of Ireland as a senior figure in organised crime on a global scale. The Criminal Assets Bureau has stated he "c ...

, and praised him during his post fight octagon and media interview at UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2. Kinahan is from

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, and is allegedly a senior figure in an international crime syndicate, the Kinahan Cartel, with criminal activities including drugs and firearm smuggling. Kinahan has been sanctioned by the United States government, who have offered a $5 million reward for key information on Kinahan and his brother and father.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 11–3 , Gabriel Bonfim , Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:49 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Ange Loosa , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–2 ,

, TKO (body kicks and punches) , UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Arber Murati , TKO (knees and punches) , Probellum MMA Dubai: Lazzez vs. Murati , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:59 ,

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

Sasha Palatnikov Sasha Palatnikov (born March 15, 1989) is a Hong Kong-born American mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Palatnikov, the son of a Russian father, who was a professional ...

, TKO (elbows and punches) , UAE Warriors 8 , , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:48 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 , Eldar Eldarov , Decision (unanimous) , Brave CF 23 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...

, Jordan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Dmitrijs Homjakovs , TKO , Brave CF 16 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:15 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Christophe Van Dijck , Decision (unanimous) , Phoenix Fighting Championship 4: Dubai , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Mohamad Ghorabi , TKO (punches) , Desert Force 16 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:50 ,

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

, Saudi Arabia , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Amr Fathee Wahman , KO (head kick) , Desert Force 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Manama Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...

, Bahrain , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Anas Siraj Mounir , KO (head kick) , Desert Force 10 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:15 ,

, Jordan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Ashkan Mehrdadpoor , TKO (punches) , Dubai FC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:25 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Andrew Connor , KO (punch) , Dubai FC 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:54 ,

, United Arab Emirates ,

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lazzez, Mounir Living people 1987 births Tunisian male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters