Russian fighter Anatoly Malykhin etched his name in the MMA history books by becoming the first athlete to secure world titles in three different weight classes.
Doha, Qatar: The Lusail Sports Arena was electrified as ONE Championship made its much-anticipated debut in the Middle East with ONE 166: Qatar.
Fans were treated to a night of unparalleled martial arts action, featuring ten bouts that pitted the organization's top fighters against each other in a series of thrilling matchups on Friday.
Highlighting the event was Russian fighter Anatoly Malykhin, who etched his name in the MMA history books by becoming the first athlete to secure world titles in three different weight classes.
In addition to Malykhin's groundbreaking win, Chinese champion Tang Kai successfully defended his Featherweight MMA World Title.
Meanwhile, Filipino sensation Joshua Pacio made headlines by reclaiming the ONE Strawweight MMA world title under dramatic circumstances after his opponent, Jarred Brooks, was disqualified for an illegal move.
Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Chairman and CEO
Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Chairman and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the event's success and Qatar's warm reception.
"We will definitely come back to Qatar," he affirmed, highlighting the event's near-capacity attendance and the potential for growth in the new market.
“Visually I can say that the attendance was around 90% of the capacity," Sityodtong said.
“Initially, when we went to Japan, it was not much popularity, but now we have a great fan base there," he added.
Malykhin makes history
Anatoly Malykhin made MMA history in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar.
The Russian superstar defeated Reinier de Ridder to claim his ONE Middleweight MMA World Championship and become the first man in the sport to win World Titles across three different weight classes, marking ONE Championship's landmark on-ground debut in Qatar.
Anatoly Malykhin being awarded the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title
The first two rounds were equally matched between the two champions, as De Ridder showcased some new weapons in the stand-up department, even dropping Malykhin" with a stunning jab.
While Malykhin showed no fear in charging forward behind thunderous boxing combinations, Malykhin continued to press forward in the second frame.
By the start of the third stanza, De Ridder was showing serious signs of fatigue.
Malykhin refused to take his foot off the gas pedal, landing several soul-crushing body shots and even a knee to the head. The referee ordered De Ridder to stand up, but when he was unable to continue, it forced the ref to bring an official end to the contest at the 1:16 mark of round three.
The 36-year-old Russian sensation is now an unprecedented three-division MMA World Champion, adding the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title to a trophy case that also includes the organization's heavyweight and light heavyweight belts.
This epic showing earned him a $50,000 performance bonus from Sityodtong.
Post match, Malykhin told The Peninsula, "I am so happy to be here in Qatar. It's a beautiful country with beautiful people. It can be our next home to settle down after Thailand."
Sharing his dream destination to fight next, he said, "I want to fight in my hometown, Siberia, Russia." After claiming his third belt, he said, "Qatar, you are amazing. You made my dream come true here. Thank you, Qatar, and thanks to all the supporters."
During the post-fight press conference, he showed a lot of respect for the former champion Ridder. "Reinier de Ridder is one of the best fighters in the world. He is a legend. I was looking up to him daily to push myself to train three times a week to defend against him," he said.
From his side, the ONE Chairman Sityodtong expressed his pleasure in having the best heavyweight champion and fighter in his team, inviting any fighter from the world to come and challenge Malykhin. "He is the best heavyweight champion on the planet," Sityodtong said.
Chinese hero
The undefeated featherweight MMA world champion and the first Chinese fighter to clinch a title in the ONE Championship unified Featherweight MMA world title with a third-round TKO of Thanh Le, the former champion.
After taking the belt from Le via decision in December 2022, the Chinese superstar can now call himself the undisputed ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion once again.
Chinese champion Tang Kai successfully defended his Featherweight MMA World Title.
It was a slow start for both men, with Tang struggling to cut the distance against the Vietnamese-American heavy hitter, who was content to sit back and counter any time the former overextended.
In the second round, Tang started to find more success, cracking Le with a left hook, busting his nose open while landing big body punches when he managed to cut the distance.
In the third though, Tang’s persistence finally paid off.
The 28-year-old finally got his breakthrough when he feigned left before cracking Le with a huge right hook, followed by a few more punches, the referee waved off the bout, giving Tang victory and allowing him to unify the ONE Featherweight MMA world title in ONE’s long-awaited return to the Middle East.
"I want to thank my fans and supporters in Qatar for the amazing support they showed to me today," Kai told The Peninsula after the fight.
The Chinese Champion showed his confidence to meet any next opponent. "No matter who is the opponent, I am ready to take him down," he added.
And after becoming the first male MMA World Champion from China in his previous win, he will now head back home with 26 pounds of gold and a $50,000 performance bonus for his finish of Le.
Re-crowned Pacio
Joshua Pacio reclaimed ONE Strawweight MMA World Title after Jarred Brooks got a disqualification decision for an illegal slam that sent the Filipino superstar to the hospital due to a neck injury.
Filipino sensation Joshua Pacio
Brooks entered the opening stanza like a bolt of lightning but failed to find his range as he struck the Filipino from the outside.
Pacio landed a low kick, but he was quickly wrapped up by his American rival.
The slam that led to Brooks' disqualification
Brooks then locked in a standing leg triangle and searched for a rear-naked choke.
When he couldn’t find the submission, Brooks changed his approach.
He scooped up the Filipino and slammed him onto the canvas, inadvertently striking Pacio’s head and rendering him unable to continue.
Under the Global Mixed Martial Arts Rule Set, there are no slams to the head, neck, or spine allowed. As a result, Brooks was disqualified at the 56-second mark of round one, and Pacio was awarded the ONE Strawweight MMA world title.
After the show, Sityodtong affirmed that Pacio was in good condition and had nothing to worry about.
Jarred Brooks after being disqualified
"He is 100% safe and in good condition," Sityodtong emphasized.
In a post on his social media, Brooks apologized to Pacio, fans, and the ONE Championship family.
"Joshua Pacio, I wish nothing but the best for you, brother. I hope you're okay. I am sorry for letting down my family and the organization. I did not intentionally do anything. And new congratulations."
The Filipino superstar today shared photos of him and Brooks having breakfast together, captioned, "This is a dangerous sport we play in! Anything happens inside the circle. Jared and I work hard to put on a show for everyone. But at the end of the day, only athletes understand what athletes feel because they know the journey, the sacrifices, the blood and the sweat, how much time they put into it. My brother Jarred Brooks, you don’t need to be sorry because you didn’t do anything wrong, you didn’t let anybody down, remember that you are a great champion, a great Person, and a great Father."
