Five Takeaways from ONE Championship Show ONE 171: Qatar
On Thursday, February 20, ONE Championship returned to the Middle East with a night of extraordinary martial arts action.
The spectators at Lusail Sports Arena were treated to an indelible evening at ONE 171: Qatar, featuring 10 spectacular finishes and three intense battles.
With the event now behind us, let’s delve into the five key takeaways from ONE 171.
1. Joshua Pacio Defies the Odds, Proves He is the Best MMA Strawweight Star
Joshua Pacio entered the ONE Strawweight MMA world title unification bout against interim champion Jarred Brooks as the underdog.
Returning from a neck injury he picked up in their clash at ONE 166 last March and an ACL injury, Pacio escaped Brooks’ submission attempts in the first round in which the American dominated to make a stunning comeback in the second round, leaving Qatar with an impressive TKO victory.
With this win, the 29-year-old erased any doubts over his status as the best strawweight MMA star while raising his overall professional record to 23-4.
2. Jonathan Haggerty Proves His Kickboxing World Championship Credentials
Jonathan Haggerty made a name for himself as a Muay Thai star before moving to kickboxing and capturing the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world championship in November 2023.
At ONE 171: Qatar, Haggerty defended his belt for the first time, successfully defeating Chinese kickboxing veteran Wei Rui and snapping his 21-win-streak.
After the Chinese veteran dominated the first round, the 28-year-old star regained control over the next four rounds to pick up a unanimous decision victory, silencing the critics.
3. Shamil Erdogan is Ready for World Title Shot
In 28 seconds, Shamil Erdogan knocked out Aung La N Sang to reassert his dominance over the former two-division MMA world champion in their rematch.
After a top wrestling performance in their first meeting last September, the 34-year-old Turkish star showcased his world-class striking skills.
The spectacular win raises Erdogan’s overall professional record to 11-0 and puts him in pole position as the next challenger for two-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin’s ONE Middleweight MMA world title.
4. Roberto Soldic Picks Up First Win at ONE Via Spectacular KO
Roberto Soldic’s left hook dropped former ONE Lightweight MMA world title contender Dagi Arslanaliev via KO as the Croatian MMA star finally picked up his first victory since joining ONE Championship.
Arslanaliev began the welterweight MMA clash on the front foot, but Soldic’s powerful punch landed perfectly to knock out the 30-year-old Turkish star at 1:55 of the first round.
This win reminds the world of Soldic’s status as one of the best welterweight MMA stars. The 30-year-old Croatian athlete now hopes to avenge his loss to Zebaztien Kadestam and face divisional champion Christian Lee.
5. Arab Fighters Shine, Legends Retire
UAE’s Zayed Alkatheeri and Iraq’s Hussein Salem picked up two impressive wins in the lead card via submission and KO respectively.
The Emirati star dominated his Jordanian counterpart Mohammed Aburumuh in an openweight submission grappling while Salem knocked out Italy’s Walter Cogliandro at 2:25 of the first round in a featherweight MMA bout.
Meanwhile, ONE 171: Qatar witnessed the retirement of two legends, 11-time ONE Bantamweight MMA world champion Bibiano Fernandes and the first two-division world champion in ONE Championship history, Martin Nguyen.
Brazil’s Fernandes ended his legendary career after a split decision win against longtime rival, Kevin Belingon while Nguyen hung up his gloves after suffering a unanimous decision loss against fourth-ranked featherweight MMA star Shamil Gasanov.
While the two stars’ final matchups had different outcomes, there is no doubt that they have both left an eternal influence on MMA.
