Grappling savants Osamah Almarwai, Cleber Sousa to face off at ONE 166: Qatar

Two elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts will go head-to-head at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

Osamah Almarwai and Cleber Sousa are slated to square off against each other in a flyweight submission grappling bout at ONE Championship’s first event in Qatar. The event will take place at the Lusail Sports Arena in the Qatari capital of Doha.

Both men share a common goal — to earn redemption after losing their respective promotional debuts to ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci.

A victory in this pivotal matchup could catapult them back into contention for another shot at 26 pounds of gold.

Almarwai will arrive in Qatar with considerable fanfare. The 2022 IBJJF No-Gi World Champion made history as the first-ever Middle Eastern black belt to achieve such a feat.

Despite his setback at the hands of Musumeci this past May, it doesn’t change the fact that the Yemeni-Saudi Arabian remains one of the dreaded finishers in the sport.

In fact, the 31-year-old Atos member is known for his constrictor-like front headlock game and brutal ankle locks that strike fear into his opponents.

Osamah Almarwai faces litmus test in Cleber Sousa at ONE 166: Qatar

Standing in Osamah Almarwai’s way at ONE 166 is Cleber Sousa.

“Clandestino” has an impressive list of accomplishments, including victories in the IBJJF Pan-American Championship and the Brazilian National Championship.

Sousa went the distance with Mikey Musumeci in their October 2022 trilogy bout. There, he showcased explosive guard-passing skills in a hard-fought decision loss.

This experience makes him a challenging adversary for Almarwai. So, fans can expect a thrilling clash of styles and techniques this coming March.