One day to go for blockbuster ONE 171: Qatar fights

The world’s biggest combat sport organisation — ONE Championship (ONE) — is set for a dream return to the country with the ONE 171: Qatar event, which will be held at the Lusail Sports Arena on Thursday.

ONE 171 : QATAR PROGRAMME

Date: February 20

Time: 6pm onwards, gates open at 3.30pm

Venue: Lusail Sports Arena

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased here.

Last year, the ONE 166: Qatar event, the Championship’s first foray into the Middle East, was watched by around 20 million fans around thre world.

This year’s exciting fight card includes multiple World title clashes in MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling.

The evening’s main event will be the much-anticipated rematch between ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio and interim titleholder Jarred ‘The Monkey God’ Brooks.

They first fought in December 2022, when Brooks claimed the strawweight crown. Pacio took a disqualification win in March 2024 to even the score, but Brooks later captured the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title.

Pacio will look to take revenge time in the unification showdown.

“The difference this time is, of course, I’m going to win. Yeah, I’m going to win. The last time I won, but it’s not the way we wanted to. And I don’t look (at the) past, I look forward, and here we’re. It’ll be different this time,” Pacio was quoted as saying by The Peninsula during a pre-event Press conference at the Mohammed bin Jassim House - Msheireb Museums.

Brooks hit back in the same vein.

“I want to be remembered as the true strawweight World Champion. I’m very grateful to ONE Championship and what they’ve done for me. I promise you, Joshua, and I, we’re more than willing and prepared. And I’m going to go out, and I’m going to finish him on Thursday,” he said.

Reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan ‘The General’ Haggerty will defend his belt against Chinese challenger ‘Demon Blade’ Wei Rui.

“I’m blessed to be doing what I love and traveling to beautiful countries like Qatar. I’m very excited to defend my belt against Wei Rui. He’s a very credible opponent and the No.1 for a reason,” Haggerty said.

Rui, riding on a 21-fight win streak, said he was also well prepared.

“This is my first time in Doha, and I came here just for this world title belt. I’ll definitely bring this belt to China,” Rui, a veteran of 75 bouts, said.

The legendary Bibiano ‘The Flash’ Fernandes will then take on Kevin Belingon in a Bantamweight MMA clash in the final bout of his career.

Current ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo will take on Lightweight MMA challenger Nicolas Alejandro Vigna in another interesting tie.  

Croatian Roberto ‘Robocop’ Soldic will take on lightweight contender Dagi Arslanaliev in a welterweight MMA contest.

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was savouring the excitement.

“I’ve been to Qatar for the last six, seven years. I’d like to thank Qatar Media City. They’ve been incredible partners. Also, a special shout-out to Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation President Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al Thani. His vision for MMA and wrestling is commendable. We wouldn’t be here without Sheik Fahad,” Sityodtong said.

Thursday’s fight card 

Main Event
Strawweight MMA World Championship Unification
Joshua Pacio vs Jarred Brooks

Co-main event
Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship
Jonathan Haggerty vs Wei Rui

Welterweight MMA
Roberto Soldic vs Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev

Bantamweight Kickboxing
Petchtanong Petchfergus vs Ilias Ennahachi

Middleweight MMA
Aung La Nsang vs Shamil Erdogan

Featherweight MMA
Shamil Gasanov vs Martin Nguyen

Bantamweight MMA
Bibiano Fernandes vs Kevin Belingon

Heavyweight MMA
Mauro Cerilli vs Kirill Grishenko

Bantamweight Muay Thai
Jake Peacock vs Shinji Suzuki

Women's Atomweight MMA
Ritu Phogat vs Ayaka Miura

Lightweight MMA
Kade Ruotolo vs Nicolas Alejandro Vigna

Preliminary card

Openweight Submission Grappling
Zayed Alkatheeri vs Mohammed Hilal Ahmad Abu Rumuh

Lightweight MMA
Abdullo Khodzhaev vs Wilian Poles

Featherweight MMA
Hussein Salem vs Walter Cogliandro

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