Latest news with #ONE171:Qatar
Sport360
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Sport360
Headliners Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks have a score to settle at ONE 171: Qatar
The last time Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks were in Qatar, the night didn't go to plan for either man. Brooks, at the time, was the ONE Strawweight MMA world champion but a mistimed slam inside the first two minutes of their clash resulted in a disqualification, a stripped title – and Pacio having to be helped from the cage. It wasn't the way the Filipino wanted to reclaim his title, but now the pair get the chance to do it all again at ONE 171: Qatar. While Pacio was fortunate to escape serious injury after being spiked on the top of his head by Brooks, it has been a troublesome knee injury that has kept him out of competition – and this week's bout will be his first since that day in March last year. On the flip side, American Brooks has kept himself busy. A first round submission of Gustavo Balart handed him the interim strawweight title in Pacio's absence. Then in December he decided to make a temporary move to flyweight to take on Reece McLaren. A split-decision loss over five rounds was not the result Brooks wanted, but he certainly came out of it with no credibility damage. Now at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar, the two will meet for a third time – to finally unify the strawweight class. Pacio has made the walk to the cage 17 times in ONE Championship since debuting in 2016, and is a three-time strawweight champion. Every time he has suffered adversity in his career, the 29-year-old has always returned stronger, and while he's not coming off a loss – almost a year out of action through injury will always leave some question marks. For Brooks this is a day of redemption, for a title lost on a technicality, and the opportunity for him to reclaim what he believes to be rightfully his. A clash of styles, and a clash of personalities – this is the blockbuster main event the Qatar fans have been waiting for. You can watch ONE 171: Qatar, which takes place on Thursday February 20th at 5pm Mecca at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. For ticket information, click here. Alternatively, you can watch the event live on BeIn Sports or at
Morocco World
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Five Reasons Morocco's Ilias Ennahachi is One of the Biggest Kickboxing Stars in the World
Casablanca – Morocco's kickboxing star Ilias Ennahachi is set to face Thai veteran Petchtanong Petchfergus in a pivotal bantamweight clash at ONE Championship event ONE 171: Qatar on February 20. The bout may very well decide the next challenger for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world title, which is set to be on the line in the main event between champion Jonathan Haggerty and number-1 ranked contender Wei Rui. Ahead of the highly anticipated fight inside the Lusail Sports Arena at ONE 171: Qatar, which kicks off at 3 p.m. WET live via beIN SPORTS, we take a look at five reasons that make Ennahachi one of the biggest kickboxing stars in the world today. Ennahachi owns a glittering 40-3 overall professional record. He is unbeaten in ONE Championship with five wins against top opponents at both flyweight and bantamweight. The Moroccan's talent shone early as picked up a host of world titles from reputable martial arts organizations Enfusion, Blade, and WFL by 23. Five years later, Ennahachi has added impressive wins to his resume and the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world championship to his trophy cupboard. Unique style and athleticism The Moroccan star took his first kickboxing lesson at 11. He had also practiced karate under the guidance of his father. Throughout the years, Ennahachi has molded a unique style inside the ring. Now, the 28-year-old incorporates different types of martial arts, mixing his flair, quick movements, and athleticism with dangerous kicks and accurate punches. Since turning pro, Ennahachi has faced – and beaten – some of the best kickboxing stars in the world. Not only did Ennahachi snatch the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title from Petchdam Petchyindee on his ONE Championship debut, the Moroccan is the only man to beat current two-sport world champion and Thai megastar Superlek Kiatmoo9. Grounded attitude and hard work While capturing victories and claiming titles early on may cause fighters to lose their heads, Ennahachi remains grounded, displaying a consistent hard working attitude in training. The Moroccan wants to win more world titles and beat the best kickboxing stars in the world, he is on a mission to repay his parents' trust and support by making them proud. And he knows that winning consistently requires the kind of hard work he puts in the gym. Tags: Ilias EnnahachiKickboxingMoroccoone championshipONE: Qatar
Sport360
15-02-2025
- Sport
- Sport360
New opponent named for UAE's Zayed Alkatheeri at ONE 171: Qatar
Emirati champion Zayed Alkatheeri The UAE's Zayeed Alkatheeri has had a late change for his bout at ONE 171: Qatar. Initially scheduled to take on Jarrah Alhazzaa in a flyweight submission grappling match, the Kuwaiti has withdrawn, with Mohammed Hilal Ahmad Abu Rumuh from Jordan stepping in. Alketheeri might be making his ONE Championship debut next week, but brings a wealth of experience and accomplishment to the table. The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt became the first Emirati to win a gold medal at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan American Championship at the adult black belt level. The 24-year-old took just five years to reach black belt under Ribamar Santiago and has since gone on to win the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro. The finalising of this match now locks in the card for ONE 171: Qatar at the Lusail Sports Arena next Thursday. In the main event, ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio will square off against interim titleholder Jarred Brooks for the third time in a bid to unify the belts. Then in the co-main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty will defend his gold against Chinese icon Wei Rui. You can watch ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday February 20th at 5pm Mecca at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. For ticket information, click here. Alternatively, you can watch the event live on BeIn Sports or at
Sport360
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sport360
Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon run it back for a FIFTH time at ONE 171: Qatar - but there is just a much on this as their first fight
We see rematches, and the odd trilogy – but the fact we will see Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon head to head at ONE 171: Qatar for a fifth time is something pretty special. While Bibiano might lead the series 3-1, there is a lot riding on this for both men. Neither have been seen in the cage since 2022, so this is the chance to continue one of ONE Championship's most storied rivalries, and show the world that these two warriors still have what it takes to compete on the biggest of stages. It is easy to argue that Bibiano built the ONE Championship bantamweight MMA division. A former champion, who defended the belt a record times – the man who ended that run in 2018? Kevin Belingon. And we find ourselves here today 'Kevin is a tough dude,' said Bibiano. 'He's explosive, and very dangerous. He has good power. He's been in ONE Championship for a long time as well. We've both been there for a long time. When Chatri asked me if I wanted to fight Kevin, I said yeah, let's do it. And that's it. I'm here now.' The Brazilian, now 44, looks back fondly on their previous encounters and knows just how much of an impact they had on ONE's bantamweight division. 'Let me put it this way,' he said. 'The other day, I was watching a fight between me and Kevin. I was watching that on Facebook, it just showed up and said it had 29 million views. That fight was watched 29 million times.' Where once he saw titles and matches, now Bibiano is focussed on the bigger picture – and what comes next in what has been a fascinating life story. 'Before, I only had fighting. Now, I have my school. I have a lot of students. I have a lot of people to look after. I have my whole family, my kids. I feel like I have to put my energy into something bigger. 'Bibiano the fighter is just a small [part of my life]. But now, something bigger has come. For me, that means I have a lot of students, a lot of people to look after. I have my family in Brazil. Sometimes in life, you have to make decisions. And at this point in my life, I think it's the right way to [end my MMA career] and move forward.' Filipino Belingon, has not only been out of the cage for a number of years, but is also coming off five consecutive losses, but the prospect of facing his long-time rival still fills him with the energy and will to win he had when claiming the title. 'I know it's been nearly two years since I last competed, but I'm alright,' he said. 'When the fight was offered, of course I was surprised. I never expected to fight him again. But then I thought, I'll get the chance to settle the score so I'm truly excited. I feel blessed to still compete in ONE Championship.' Even at the age of 37, Belingon feels he is still developing as a fighter, and will bring something new to the table when the two face off at the Lusail Arena at ONE 171: Qatar. 'The past two years, I've just been focused on my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under professor Gibran Langbayan,' he explained. 'I've been working hard on my jiu-jitsu, I've joined and won tournaments in my time away from MMA. 'I don't know if there's any one thing that'll surprise me against Bibiano, but I'll certainly be looking to be the one surprising him in this bout.' And while the division has moved on with a slew of top-class fighters, Belingon still believes he has something to offer in those upper echelons. 'This is definitely my last chance against Bibiano so I'll certainly do everything to get this win and even the score. 'What I want to prove is that I'm not done. I'm still strong, I can still work hard, I can still fight. I want to show in this fight that I've improved in this fight. 'I still feel like I belong with the best of this division. I believe that I'm still quick enough, I'm strong enough and I can hang around and go toe to toe with the best fighters in this division, the younger fighters in this division.' You can watch Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon collide at ONE 171: Qatar, which takes place on Thursday February 20th at 5pm Mecca at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. For ticket information, click here. Alternatively, you can watch the event live on BeIn Sports or at
Sport360
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Sport360
Ahead of ONE 171: Qatar, Why Morocco's Ilias Ennahachi is one of the best kickboxers on the planet
ONE Championship is blessed with some of the world's very best fighters across a range of disciples. Whether we look at MMA, submission grappling, Muay Thai, or Kickboxing there is a wealth of global-level talent – and one of them is Morocco's Ilias Ennahachi. The 28-year-old will return to action next week at ONE 171: Qatar when he takes on Petchtanong Petchfergus in the bantamweight kickboxing division. Ahead of that clash, we take a look at what makes him so special. Never defeated for his title A former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion, Ennahachi was never defeated for his title. Instead, it was only the scales able to get the better of him – being able to make the flyweight limit whilst hydrated was just too much for the Moroccan, so a move up and vacated title was a must Six of the best After starting kickboxing in his native Netherlands at the age of 11, it was soon clear that there was a prodigious talent on the horizon. What started as a hobby quickly became a passion and being able to compete on the local scene, quickly became national. Then he found himself a European champion – before the age of 23 he was six-time world champion and one of the world's very best was born. Hard to hit When watching Ennahchi fight, he has the incredible ability to make his opponents miss. Through a mix of speed, an ability to read what's happening, and super-slick footwork he has given some of the very best in the business a puzzle they have not been able to solve. How do you beat a man who you can barely lay a glove on? Big name opponents On face value, it is sometimes difficult to compare combat sports records like-for-like. Quality of opposition has to be taken into account – and we can safely say there is no 'padding' on Ennahchi's record. He's 40-3 overall in his pro kickboxing career – but hasn't been beaten since 2018. In that time, he had been put in the ring with some absolute killers. The most notable being Superlek – when Ennahchi became the first man to defeat him in ONE Championship – but special mentions also go to Hiroki Akimoto and Petchdam – both former world champions. Two-weight Champion prospect No longer in the flyweight limits, Ennahchi now fights among the bigger fish of the bantamweight division – but that transition has been seamless. Two fights have yielded two wins, including a conclusive knockout of Aliasghar Ghodratisaraskan before the scalp of Akimoto. Petchtanong Petchfergus poses a significant threat next week – but overcome that hurdle and a date with the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship won't be far away. That title will be on the line at ONE 171: Qatar when Jonathan Haggerty defends his gold against first-ranked challenger Wei Rui, who is riding a 21-win-streak. ONE 171: Qatar takes place on Thursday February 20th at 5pm Mecca at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. For ticket information, click here. Alternatively, you can watch the event live on BeIn Sports or at
