Arjan Bhullar and Amir Aliakbari set to throw down in possible heavyweight MMA world title eliminator at ONE 166: Qatar

Top heavyweight MMA fighters Arjan Bhullar and Amir Aliakbari will collide in a potential world title eliminator at ONE 166: Qatar in March next year.

The clash is among the first three matches recently announced by the promotion for its first-ever live on-ground event in Qatar, happening on March 1 at Lusail Sports Arena.

The two others are the ONE strawweight MMA world title clash between reigning champion Jarred Brooks and former divisional king Joshua Pacio and the flyweight submission grappling showdown between Osamah Almarwai and Cleber Sousa.

Whoever comes out the winner in the Bhullar-Aliakbari match could possibly earn a shot at the title currently held by Anatoly Malykhin of Russia.

Bhullar is the former champion in the ONE heavyweight MMA class until he was dethroned by Malykhin in his last fight back in June by technical knockout in the third round.

The 37-year-old Indian-Canadian fighter is seeking for a bounce-back win at the Qatar event, which he hopes will put him in a position to vie for the title he once held.

Aliakbari, 36, meanwhile, is on a three-fight winning streak that has seen him become one of the top contenders in his division.

His most recent victory was over Canadian Dustin Joynson in July, which he won by submission in the opening round.

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ONE Championship building a stacked offering for ONE 166

For its first-ever live on-ground event in Qatar, ONE Championship is looking to build a spectacular offering to make it an affair to remember.

The world’s largest martial arts organization descends on Qatar on March 1 with ONE 166. It is part of the promotion’s thrust for 2024 to bring its brand of world-class combat sports action to more people in different parts of the world.

In making the announcement for the event, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was clear on what they want to accomplish along with their partners in the region.

The ONE executive said:

“I’m thrilled to announce ONE Championship’s return to the Middle East with one of our biggest events ever. We’re building a spectacular card that is stacked from top to bottom, which will feature world championship fights across all of our martial arts disciplines. We can’t wait to put on a show for the greatest fans on earth and would like to thank Qatar Tourism, Media City Qatar, and Ooredoo for teaming with us to make history.”

More fights for ONE 166: Qatar are expected to be released in the coming weeks.