Yemeni grappler Osamah Almarwai confirmed for ONE 166: Qatar

Yemeni-Saudi Arabian grappler Osamah Almarwai will be one of the star attractions at the history-making ONE 166: Qatar. The 31-year-old will take on Brazil’s Cleber Sousa in a flyweight submission grappling bout, as both men look to earn a shot at current divisional king Mikey Musumeci. This will be the second ONE Championship outing for both fighters, with Almarwai and Sousa losing to Musumeci on their respective debuts. To say this is a battle of the elite could be seen as something of an understatement. Almarwai was the  2022 IBJJF No-Gi World Champion, the first-ever Middle Eastern competitor to achieve that feat in the black belt ranks, making him the region’s most prominent and beloved submission grappler. Look out for his vice-like headlocks, and terrifying ankle attacks. The man from Brazil has pretty impressive credentials too. With an IBJJF Pan-American Championship and a Brazilian National Championship to his name, Sousa brings a wealth of experience and impressive accomplishments each time he steps on the mats – including going the distance with Musumeci. Elsewhere, ONE Championship’s debut in Qatar will see former ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion Arjan “Singh” Bhullar return to face fellow contender Amir Aliakbari in a high-stakes battle at Lusail Sports Arena, while Jarred Brooks will take on Joshua Pacio for the strawweight MMA title. These will be just two of five planned title fights for what is already promising to be a spectacular show on the promotion’s return to the region.