ONE 166: Qatar – Debutant Al-Qahtani on his dream come true, and pride in representing the region

Having studied in the UK, Al-Qahtani learned his trade in some of London’s toughest gyms, but now, for just the fourth time in his career, he will have the opportunity to showcase his skills in front of his home fans in the Middle East.

On March 1 at the Lusail Sports Arena, The Arabian Warrior will be surrounded by thousands of ‘home’ fans, and it is something he recognises and wants to repay their support. 

“It means a lot to represent the region,” he said. “It feels like the entire region’s weight is on my shoulders. I am just here to please the fans. That’s my main aspiration. I’m a prizefighter, I want the fans to enjoy what they see, so I need to give back to the sport.“

He is also thankful to ONE Championship for coming to the region, and giving him the opportunity to showcase his abilities by putting on their first boxing match since 2018.

“It’s a historic moment,” he added. “There’s no other way to describe it. First of all, I’d like to say a massive thank you to ONE Championship. They have done something so amazing by creating the first big martial arts event in Qatar. And having me on the bill is something that I find hard to explain before the fight. I may be able to explain in detail after the fight.   

“It is a dream come true. I needed to be part of this giant. Being part of ONE can revolutionize my whole life and my whole future. It can bring me closer to goals that need to be done. This fight will be just the start, the stepping stone to something bigger.”

In Mehdi Zatout, Al-Qahtani faces an elite striker – but with all four limbs. He may not be accustomed to boxing, but the home favourite knows his reputation, and while he respects his previous achievements, there is no fear on display.

“Mehdi Zatout is an excellent martial artist. He’s achieved a lot of good things in martial arts and Muay Thai. He’s done great things for the sport. However, he’s coming up against a boxer. I do believe he is in a different dimension.

“The fight was too good to turn it down. 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.  

All that is left now is for the two to battle it out in a week’s time, and despite an already loaded card Al-Qahtani knows which fight he thinks fans will be talking about at the end of the night.

“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.   

“All I can tell you now is that it will be an exciting fight and will probably be the best fight of the show.”

ONE Championship returns to the Middle East on March 1 with ONE 166: Qatar at the Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail. A historic night awaits with no less than five title fights planned, and tickets are now available from Virgin Megastore and Q-Tickets.