ONE 166: “It’s a historic moment” – Zuhayr Al-Qahtani explains the significance of groundbreaking ONE 166 in Qatar

Saudi Arabian boxer Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is excited to be part of the landmark ONE Championship event in Qatar next month. He said it is going to be a huge development in the martial arts scene, not only in the country but the entire Middle East.

The 34-year-old veteran pro boxer will be making his ONE debut at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1. He will be taking on Muay Thai champion Mehdi Zatout in a catchweight (147 pounds) boxing showdown in the event happening at the Lusail Sports Arena.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Al-Qhatani spoke about the marquee event, particularly the significance of it for martial artists like him from the region as well as fans.

‘The Arabian Warrior’ said:

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“It’s a historic moment. There’s no other way to describe it. First of all, I’d like to say a massive thank you to ONE Championship. They have done something so amazing by creating the first big martial arts event in Qatar.”

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani thrilled to have drawn Mehdi Zatout as opponent in ONE debut

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani will be making his promotional debut at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1 against seasoned warrior Mehdi Zatout. He said it is going to be an honor to share the ring with someone who will test his skills as a fighter.

The two are featured in a catchweight boxing showdown in ONE Championship’s debut event in Qatar.

In the same interview with the promotion, Al-Qahtani shared that the idea of pitting a traditional boxer against a Muay Thai fighter was just difficult to pass up for his part and now he is looking forward to how things will pan out.

He said:

“The fight was too good to turn down, so I had to accept it. To compete against Mehdi Zatout is just something that I would love to have on my resume. His skills are great. I am going against a former [Muay Thai] world champion.”

Entering his ONE debut, Zuhayr Al-Qahtani brings with him his 9-0 professional boxing record.

Meanwhile, Zatout, 40 returns to ONE action since last competing in October 2022, where he won by first-round TKO over American Asa Ten Pow.

ONE 166: Qatar will air live free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Michael Murillo is a journalist who covers basketball and MMA at Sportskeeda with over two decades of experience. Michael has contributed as a proofreader, columnist and journalist for the Philippine broadsheet BusinessWorld.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard