RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabian mixed martial artist Saud Almolhem will represent Saudi Arabia at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where MMA is set to make its official debut on September 20 at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center. The 21-year-old athlete is among 59 fighters representing 23 National Olympic Committees competing across six medal divisions.
Born in Jeddah on February 9, 2005, Almolhem transitioned into combat sports at age 17 after originally pursuing football. Following an introduction to high school wrestling in the United States encouraged by his brother, Abdullah, he returned to Jeddah to train in sanda, boxing, kickboxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Arrow Martial Arts Club under Coach Haitham.
Almolhem entered the Saudi national team system in 2024 under Head Coach Mohammed Al-Azani. His competitive international record includes an appearance at the IMMAF World Championships, an AMMA Championship bout in China, and a bronze medal win across three bouts at the AMMA Asian Championship in Uzbekistan. On July 10, 2026, he secured a unanimous decision victory (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) against Abdelhalim Elhoufy in an amateur featherweight showcase bout at PFL MENA 10, held at Boulevard Studios in Riyadh.
Parallel to his athletic career, Almolhem is currently an undergraduate finance student at the University of Manchester. His upcoming participation in Nagoya marks Saudi Arabia’s inclusion in the Asian Games’ inaugural mixed martial arts program.