“He’s done great things for the sport” – Zuhayr Al-Qahtani hails Mehdi Zatout’s achievements ahead of special rules encounter

34-year-old Saudi Arabian boxer Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is ready to debut in the world’s largest martial arts organization next week when he enters the ONE Championship ring for the first time in a historic event in Qatar.

Al-Qahtani is set to face multi-sport veteran ‘Diamond Heart’ Mehdi Zatout at ONE 166: Qatar, which broadcasts live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, on Friday, March 1.

The Saudi Arabian star knows how tough an opponent Zatout is, so the 34-year-old isn’t taking his Algerian opponent lightly.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Al-Qahtani had nothing but kind words for Zatout ahead of their highly anticipated showdown.

The 34-year-old said:

“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.”

ONE 166: Qatar broadcasts live on Friday, March 1, to existing Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada. Fans can catch all the action live and absolutely free. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on ONE Championship.

---

Zuhayr Al-Qahtani on ONE Championship debut: “The fight was too good to turn down”

ONE Championship has not had a boxing match in ages, but Zuhayr Al-Qahtani is out to prove why ‘the sweet science’ belongs in the ONE Championship ring.

The 34-year-old Saudi Arabian veteran recalled being offered to fight in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and it’s something that was too good to pass on said Al-Qahtani.

He told ONE Championship:

“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.”