Ilias Ennahachi Vs. Petchtanong, Mauro Cerilli Vs. Kirill Grishenko Added To ONE 171: Qatar
ONE Championship’s big return to Qatar is right around the corner, and the organization has officially added two more fights to the blockbuster event at Lusail Sports Arena.
On Thursday, February 20, former ONE Kickboxing World Champions Ilias Ennahachi and Petchtanong Petchfergus will collide in a bantamweight battle, while Italian veteran Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli will take on Belarusian destroyer Kirill Grishenko in a heavyweight MMA scrap.
The matchup between Ennahachi and Petchtanong carries major implications for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title picture.
With reigning titleholder Jonathan Haggerty set to defend his gold against Wei Rui in the main event of ONE 171: Qatar, a win for either contender would likely position them as the next man up.
Ennahachi burst onto the global stage in 2019 when he shocked the world with a spectacular third-round knockout of Petchdam Petchyindee to claim the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title.
The Moroccan superstar would subsequently defend his belt two times – even becoming the only man in ONE to beat Superlek Kiatmoo9 – before losing it on the scale, as he was unable to make the flyweight limit while hydrated and was stripped of his World Title.
However, Ennahachi has found new life at bantamweight, where he’s reeled off a pair of wins, including a victory over former divisional kingpin Hiroki Akimoto, to establish himself as the #2-ranked contender and remain undefeated in the organization.
For his part, the 39-year-old Petchtanong is one of the most decorated and accomplished strikers on the planet today.
A former WBC and WMC Muay Thai World Champion, the Thai defeated Akimoto in 2022 to capture the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title. He was then stripped of the World Title due to a drug testing violation.
Petchtanong returned to ONE in 2024 and looked to still be in peak form. At ONE Friday Fights 68 last June, he scored a highlight-reel knockout of Alaverdi Ramazanov, announcing himself as a serious threat to reclaim the gold.
Now the #3-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender, the legendary striker knows that a win over Ennahachi would put him right back where he wants to be.
Lower on the card, behemoth heavyweights Cerilli and Grishenko will lock horns in what promises to be a barnburner.
A devastating knockout artist with a background in judo and grappling, “The Hammer” is a veteran of six thrilling MMA fights in ONE, earning all of his promotional victories by stoppage and unsuccessfully challenging for the heavyweight gold in 2018.
Cerilli’s all-action, brawling style of combat will be tested against the towering Grishenko and his elite wrestling chops.
The Belarusian has faced nothing but top-flight competition in ONE and will enter the contest following an impressive decision win over South Korean brawler Kang Ji Won – a valuable experience as he now prepares for the heavy-handed Cerilli at ONE 171.
Grishenko fell to Anatoly Malykhin in their showdown for the interim heavyweight strap in 2022, and this matchup with Cerilli could thrust one of them back into the World Title picture.
Keep checking onefc.com for more news about ONE 171: Qatar.
