“The fight was too good to turn down” – Zuhayr Al-Qahtani excited to face Mehdi Zatout at ONE 166

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is thrilled to have drawn veteran fighter Mehdi Zatout in his ONE Championship debut. He said what better way to introduce himself in the world’s largest martial arts organization than to go up against a highly accomplished striker.

‘The Arabian Warrior’ clashes with ‘Diamond Heart’ in a featured catchweight (147 pounds) boxing showdown at ONE 166 on March 1 in Qatar.

It is part of the marquee event marking the debut of ONE Championship in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar and airing live free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Unbeaten Saudi Arabian boxer Al-Qahtani, 34, said he is looking forward to showcasing his skills against Muay Thai champion fighter Zatout, telling the promotion in an interview:

“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, He is out to pad it at ONE 166: Qatar in front of his supporters in the Middle East.

Mehdi Zatout, 40, an ISKA and WBC Muay Thai world champion, meanwhile, returns to ONE action since last competing in October 2022, where he won by first-round TKO over American Asa Ten Pow.

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Zuhayr Al-Qahtani ready for showdown against Mehdi Zatout

While he knows he is up against a formidable opponent in Mehdi Zatout in his ONE Championship debut next month, Zuhayr Al-Qahtani expressed readiness for it and vowed to come up with a suited game plan come fight night to notch a win.

The veteran Saudi Arabian boxer collides with Algerian Muay Thai champion Zatout in a catchweight boxing match at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

34-year-old Al-Qahtani recognizes an interesting dynamic between him and ‘Diamond Heart’ but is excited to mix it up with the veteran fighter.

He told ONE Championship in an interview:

“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 marks the promotional debut of Zuhayr Al-Qahtani. The event will take place at the Lusail Sports Arena.