Chatri Sityodtong on ONE 166 & ONE Championship’s Return to the United States
ONE 166: Qatar takes place this Friday, and it is the first ONE numbered event for Prime members in the United States and Canada.
The card, headlined by Anatoly Malykhin challenging Reinier de Ridder for the ONE Middleweight MMA title, will air live beginning at 7:30am ET.
“This is the beginning of really big things between Qatar and ONE,” said ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. “There’s a great alignment of vision and values. And we have three world championship rematches that are going to deliver.”
In the main event, the undefeated Malykhin–who already possesses the ONE Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight MMA world titles–seeks to defeat de Ridder for a second time. If Malykhin (13-0) can beat him again, like he did by TKO in December of 2022, he will also crown himself ONE Middleweight MMA World Champion.
“The Middle Eastern fans are in for a massive treat,” said Sityodtong. “2014 was our first show in Dubai, and 10 years later, here we are again. There will be a Middle Eastern flavor to this global show, and we’ll see if Anatoly Malykhin becomes the first simultaneous three-division world champion. He’s going to try to take RDR’s head off like he did in their first meeting, but RDR is going to defend that belt with his life.”
The co-main events include ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai against interim title holder Thanh Le, and ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks defending his belt against former champ Joshua Pacio.
ONE 166 marks the first non-U.S. primetime event streamed on Prime Video for members in the US and Canada, a source of pride for Sityodtong.
“Fans in America have only seen our ONE Fight Night product,” said Sityodtong. “American fans get to witness what one of our numbered events looks like on Friday. This is a global card, the type that shows why ONE has the best roster on the planet.”
After ONE’s debut in the U.S. last May, there is considerable intrigue for the upcoming two cards in America this year. The first of those is ONE Fight Night 26 in Denver on September 6. Considering tickets are expected to go on sale in the near future, details about the card are likely to follow.
“Fans are going to love that Denver card in September,” said Sityodtong. “We have some really big matchups we’re going to announce, and I think this is going to sell out quickly.”
ONE has the foundation to resonate with fight fans in America. After selling out its first show in the states last spring, it is poised to do so again, especially as people become more invested in the careers of emerging stars like Rodtang, de Ridder, Malykhin, and the Ruotolo brothers.
“ONE Championship is led by martial artists for martial artists and martial artist fans, and that’s a key part of our success,” said Sityodtong. “The leadership team at ONE, we are all lifelong martial artists, and you see the love for that in the brand. And you’ll see that in the action on March 1 when the best martial artists are competing for the highest stakes in the world.”
