The talented warriors and world champions competing at the blockbuster ONE 166: Qatar showcase took time off their busy fight week to electrify fans at West Bay Beach in Doha yesterday.
Before the card broadcasts live from the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1, the on-ground audience and media were given a glimpse of what they can expect inside the ring set up just off the coastal line along Qatar’s most popular tourist destinations.
Two-division ONE world champion Anatoly Malykhin, who embarks on a historic third world title in MMA, warmed up his fists with a full-on display of striking prowess.
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‘Sladkiy’ pummeled the paddle punch mitts with full energy and razor-sharp focus before he faces Reinier de Ridder in the main event of ONE 166.
‘The Dutch Knight’ did not hold anything back during his open workout session, too.
De Ridder showcased bits of his grappling and striking expertise throughout his spell, even going airborne with a flying knee strike – something completely out of his textbook.
It was another high-octane session of shifting through the gears as Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks put their arsenal on show in Doha.
Pacio hammered through the focus mitts with his typical striking flair. Defending strawweight MMA world champion Brooks, meanwhile, displayed a mix of attacks on the feet and the canvas.
Meanwhile, Thanh Le and Tang Kai threw in some heavy combinations throughout their rounds.
Other stars that featured during the ONE 166: Qatar open workouts were ONE veteran Mehdi Zatout and WBC Middle Eastern champion and promotional newcomer Zuhayr Al-Qahtani.
A deep dive into the massive ONE 166 card in Qatar on March 1
Right at the top of the stacked ONE 166: Qatar card, ONE middleweight MMA world champion de Ridder puts his 26 pounds of gold on the line against unbeaten Russian slugger Malykhin.
In their first meeting, ‘Sladkiy’ dished out a striking clinic to see off ‘The Dutch Knight’ inside the sold-out Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
Moving into the first of two co-main event world title contests, Kai and Le cross paths in a featherweight MMA world title unification contest. The Chinese star came out on top via unanimous decision when they met at ONE 160, but Le vows to bring his A-game to even the scores in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Brooks and ‘The Monkey God’ renew their rivalry in a hotly anticipated strawweight MMA world championship affair.
Other interesting fixtures on this bill will see Arjan Bhullar and Amir Aliakbari vie for a possible shot at a ONE world title in their pivotal heavyweight MMA showdown.
On the other hand, Osamah Almarwai and Cleber Sousa look to earn their first promotional win and put their disappointing debut losses to Mikey Musumeci to bed in flyweight submission grappling.
Last but not least, the world of boxing collides with Muay Thai when Al-Qahtani and Zatout face off in a 147-pound catchweight boxing contest.
ONE 166: Qatar will be available to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription on March 1.
