For the second year in a row, ONE Championship will head to the Middle East.
Lusail, Qatar will once again play host to a ONE card next year, as the Asia-based promotion will present ONE 171 from the Lusail Sports Arena on February 20th, as announced Thursday.
ONE Championship’s second trip to Lusail comes just two months after the fight promotion reportedly extended its business partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
Bloomberg reported in October that the QIA agreed to give another $50 million to ONE Championship, providing a cash injection that previous reports indicated was possibly necessary to keep the promotion alive.
In exchange for the multi-million dollar investment that Qatar has provided ONE, the country has been showcased in the promotion’s programming. Along with features in a variety of content like ONE’s “The Apprentice” spin-off, events have been the main way the partnership has been displayed.
ONE’s debut in Qatar last year saw the promotion stack a lineup full of high-profile matchups, including a trio of MMA title fights. In the headlining bout, Anatoly Malykhin became a three-division champion with a win over now-UFC talent Reinier de Ridder.
It’s currently unclear who will appear on the promotion’s upcoming Qatar card, although details will slowly be revealed in the coming weeks.
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