Jordan’s historic Roman Theatre will host one of the region’s biggest mixed martial arts events when Desert Force stages DF UNCAGED on 30 October.
The 1,900-year-old venue in the centre of Amman will provide the setting for a night featuring 14 professional bouts and fighters representing 16 countries. Four Jordanian competitors will take part, aiming to secure victories in front of their home fans as part of Jordan MMA Week.
The event also marks the return of brothers Zaid Mirza and Mohammad Mirza to the organisation of professional fights. Zaid founded Desert Force in Amman in 2010, while Mohammad developed it into one of the region’s leading professional MMA platforms and its first major specialist organisation.
Although the event will be staged under the new DF UNCAGED name, the brothers’ involvement recalls the Desert Force era, which helped establish Arab mixed martial arts and introduced several of the region’s leading fighters.
Russian sambo meets American pressure
The headline bout sees Russian fighter Mohammad Barkhamov face American Dante Shiro in a catchweight contest at 176lb.
Barkhamov, a former ACA welterweight champion, enters with a record of 17 wins and three defeats. His approach is built around combat sambo, takedowns and submissions.
He will meet Shiro, who has recorded 13 wins and six losses and is known for his high level of fitness and relentless pressure.
The middleweight co-main event features former UFC fighter Andrew Sanchez against attacking Russian Mikhail Raguzin. Sanchez, aged 38, won season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter and has a record of 14 wins and nine defeats. Raguzin brings a record of 25 wins and seven losses.
Lebanese fighter Mohammad Fakhreddine, 42, will also make his anticipated return. He became the first fighter in BRAVE CF history to hold titles in two weight divisions, winning the middleweight belt in 2020 and the light-heavyweight title in 2022. He regained the middleweight championship in 2025.
Fakhreddine, who has 18 wins and five defeats, returns to the capital where his career began to face Welsh veteran John Martin Fraser. Fraser, 34, has a record of 11 wins and six losses and has previously competed in Cage Warriors and UAE Warriors. Their bout will take place at a catchweight of 202lb.
Fight-week schedule
The week begins with a press conference at Amman’s Citadel on 27 October. An open workout will be held on the Dead Sea Corniche on 28 October, before the official weigh-in takes place at the Odeon Theatre on 29 October.
The main card also includes Fares Al-Rimi against Salman Hantous at bantamweight, Romero Cotton against Ezekias Gleim at middleweight, and Abdullah Jawish against Islam Shalouti at featherweight.
The preliminary bouts are Tamerlan Dulatov v Levi Carriell, Mohammad Fakhreddine v John Martin Fraser, Kurban Zainukov v Gilson Nogueira, Zafar Rashidov v Dawy Cho, Kurban Ali Zainukov v Catalin Savta, Ratibor Yashchenko v Rui Chen, Fareeh Harahsheh v Abdelhafiz Bendari, Zaki Kayali v Abbas Haddad, and Yazan Blawi v Issam Azlhad.
Doors open at 17:00 Amman time, with the main bouts scheduled to begin at 21:00. The event will be broadcast live and free on MBC Action, combining professional MMA with Jordan’s historic landmarks to promote the country as an international sports tourism destination.
