In 2022, Mehdi Zatout called it a career. After defeating Asa Ten Pow, the Algerian striker laid his gloves in the center of the ONE Championship Circle and exited. On Friday, March 1, at ONE 166: Qatar, Zatout will officially come out of retirement for a unique match against a Saudi Arabian star.
Zatout will square off against unbeaten Zuhayr “The Arabian Warrior” Al-Qahtani. The two will contest their match in a 147-pound catchweight boxing affair. Both men will wear four-ounce gloves for the contest, showing the expanded offerings of ONE.
The Algerian has seen much success during his time in ONE, including nearly capturing gold. In 2021, he lost a close decision to Capitan Petchyindee. Although kickboxing gold eluded him, he would have plenty of opportunities to shine.
But going against one of the region’s top strikers will be a big test. Al-Qahtani is unbeaten as a professional. He has even won the WBC Middle Eastern Championship. However, he has not boxed in four-ounce gloves before, which could level the playing field for this intriguing matchup against Zatout.
The added bout brings more heat to the ONE 166 lineup. At the top of the card, ONE Middleweight MMA World Champion Reinier De Ridder will try to defend his gold and exact revenge against ONE Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin. The Russian, however, will be seeking history by becoming the first-ever three-division World Champion.
ONE 166: Qatar airs live on Friday, March 1. The action begins at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST. Stay tuned at MMASucka.com for more news surrounding the event.