ONE Championship CEO Sityodtong hopes for Qatar return after blockbuster debut

Doha, Qatar: ONE 166: Qatar, which took the combat sports world by storm at a marquee fight night at the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1, was described...

Doha, Qatar: ONE 166: Qatar, which took the combat sports world by storm at a marquee fight night at the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1, was described as a “huge success” by the mastermind behind the fast-rising global martial arts organization, Chatri Sityodtong.

The event dubbed the biggest combat sports event in the history of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, not only surpassed expectations locally but also achieved outstanding viewership numbers globally across linear TV and social/digital audiences.

The Qatar event, which saw a packed crowd of nearly 15,000 enthusiastic martial arts fans in attendance at the state-of-the-art arena, saw Russian fighter Anatoly Malykhin make MMA history in the feature by becoming the first athlete to secure world titles in three different weight classes. In addition to Malykhin, Chinese superstar Tang Kai and Filipino sensation Joshua Pacio also made headlines by winning world titles in their respective weight classes.

According to Sityodtong, the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of ONE Championship, Qatar exceeded all expectations, with the country’s status as a world-class host for international events playing a major role in its success.

“We are very blessed to have Qatar as our partner,” Sityodtong told The Peninsula in an exclusive interview.