Middle East star Zuhayr Al-Qahtani ready for Mehdi Zatout’s unpredictable style at ONE 166

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani might be a newcomer to ONE Championship, but he’s already looking to shock the world against a returning legend.

The striker from Saudi Arabia will make his promotional debut against Algerian Muay Thai great Mehdi Zatout in a 147-pound catchweight boxing match at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1 at Lusail Sports Arena.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Al-Qahtani said he doesn’t have a set game plan for the former WBC Muay Thai world champion and will instead play off what Zatout brings to their matchup.

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani said:

“I don’t really have a game plan for how it is expected to go because we’re going in with two different types of styles. He’s not a conventional boxer. He’s a Muay Thai fighter who is going to try to box conventionally.”

Al-Qahtani holds a perfect 9-0 professional boxing record and wants nothing more than to make a name for himself in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

The 34-year-old is a true pioneer in Saudi Arabian martial arts and is the first athlete from the country to forge a career in professional boxing.

Zatout, however, is one of the craftiest fighters of his generation.

‘Diamond Heart’ has 79 wins in his professional career and is now a coach in Thailand with Team Mehdi Zatout.

Notable fighters under Zatout’s guidance are ONE interim atomweight kickboxing world champion Phetjeeja, Nabil Anane, and Sinsamut Klinmee.

---

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani vs. Mehdi Zatout meeting part of stacked ONE 166 card in Qatar

ONE Championship is pulling out all the stops for its first on-site event in Qatar.

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani’s debut match against Mehdi Zatout is just one of the matches that will captivate the audience in what could possibly be the promotion’s biggest event of the year.

ONE 166 is filled with world title matchups and will conclude in a heated battle between bitter rivals Reinier de Ridder and Anatoly Malykhin.

De Ridder will put his ONE middleweight MMA world title on the line against the marauding Malykhin, the ONE light heavyweight and heavyweight MMA world champion, in the card’s headliner.

ONE 166 will be broadcast live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.