Representing Algeria by way of France, Mehdi “Diamond Heart” Zatout, 37, has earned his first victory in ONE Championship’s striking-only league ONE Super Series. The Algerian-French martial artist was one of the winners at “ONE: A New Tomorrow.”
Featuring six MMA matches, five Muay Thai contests and one kickboxing bout, ONE Championship held “ONE: A New Tomorrow” at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on January 10, 2020. In the third bout of the evening, Zatout competed in a Muay Thai contest in the bantamweight division against Han Zi Hao, 24, of China.
Elias Dolaptsis served as the referee. Zatout was aggressive to start the bout but Han was slightly more accurate with his shots.
In the second round, Han started off strong while Zatout came on late with a flurry. By the end of the frame, the Chinese contender began to fall behind as his Algerian-French opponent picked up the pace.
In a close final round, Zatout pulled away in the last minute with accurate combinations and after three three-minute rounds, the bantamweight contest was left in the hands of the judges. In the end, Dolaptsis raised the hand of the Algerian-French contender, who was declared the winner via split decision.
Winning at “ONE: A New Tomorrow” improved the professional kickboxing and Muay Thai record of Zatout to 76 wins, 39 losses and 1 draw. On the other hand, Han now has a professional Muay Thai record of 61 wins and 18 losses.
Including, Algeria, France and China, 15 countries were represented at “ONE: A New Tomorrow.” The other countries were Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Zatout was one of the three fighters who represented Algeria and one of the three fighters who represented France. An International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) World Champion, he is training out of Venum Training Camp Thailand.
Han was one of the two representatives of China. A Top King Muay Thai World Champion, he is training out of Mad Muay Thai Gym and Shunyuan Fight Club.
“ONE: A New Tomorrow” was the first ONE Championship event to take place in 2020. Here is a recap:
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