“Our two styles are crowd pleasers” – Zuhayr Al-Qahtani says he and Mehdi Zatout will "entertain all the fans" at ONE 166

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is prepared to fight fire with fire when he steps inside the circle to face Mehdi Zatout in a boxing match at ONE 166: Qatar.

The United Kingdom-based athlete has been dreaming of an opportunity to represent Saudi Arabia on the grandest stage of martial arts, and he sees this spectacle inside the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1 as a perfect chance for him to do just that.

Above all, the 34-year-old slugger is excited that he’s squaring off against an athlete who never fails to put on a show. Thus, he promises guaranteed entertainment when their contest gets underway.

Speaking to ONE Championship before his promotional debut, Zuhayr Al-Qahtani said:

“It seems that our two styles are crowd pleasers. He’s pumped by the crowd, and I’m pumped by the crowd as well. We’re here to entertain all the fans.”

‘The Arabian Warrior’ has hoisted his flag high throughout his professional boxing career, but this test against Zatout could be a different ball game altogether.

Zatout, who announced his retirement after beating Asa Ten Pow at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October 2022, is an accomplished striker and a former ISKA and WBC World Champion in Muay Thai.

The Venum Training Camp Thailand star is eager to show that he’s not lost any game time when he steps on the global stage next month. But like Al-Qahtani, the 40-year-old veteran has a proper assignment awaiting him in Qatar.

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Zuhayr Al-Qahtani doesn’t "have a game plan" yet for tricky Zatout test

With plenty of tape to study ‘Diamond Heart’ ahead of his promotional bow, Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is game to shock the legend and announce his presence on the ONE roster.

However, based on Zatout’s experience, the Saudi Arabian fighter admits he has yet to commit to a strategy to oust the Thailand-based striker in their 147-pound catchweight boxing showdown.

In the same interview, the 34-year-old Zuhayr Al-Qahtani offered:

“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.”

ONE 166: Qatar will be available to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription on March 1.