Chase Mann will make his ONE Championship debut on January 23, facing a tough opening assignment against Isi Fitikefu at ONE Fight Night 39 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
Manns (6-0) His path to the world stage was shaped by a difficult and often unstable childhood in Arkansas, where he grew up as the middle child of three siblings. Growing up in small towns like Paragould and Lake City, Mann has spoken of an upbringing marked by chaos, with both parents dealing with drug addiction.
As a result, Mann and his siblings often moved back and forth between living with their parents and grandparents, navigating an environment that lacked consistency. Mann got into trouble as a child before eventually finding stability and direction through martial arts, a turning point that helped him turn his life around and pursue a career in combat.
“Everything happened for a reason. I like to think that everything has a purpose. Ideally I would have preferred a normal childhood, of course I would have preferred things to have gone differently,” Mann told Cageside Press.
“It made me the man I am today, and I truly believe it’s part of my testimony. I went through everything for a reason. It was the cards I was dealt, and I’m happy with life. I feel like I’m right where I belong.”
Despite those circumstances, Mann still dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. He quit playing football in college and switched to bodybuilding instead before eventually finding his way into martial arts. MMA is where he finally found a home.
“I was always drawn to it and felt like, man, I feel like I should be in there. I want to do that so bad. I thought it was cool growing up, and once I started seeing the fighters and hearing their stories, I felt like I could relate,” he said.
“I knew it from day one. I took a class, came home and told my family, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this.’ I’m going to try to make this my career and they were all in favor.”
Mann has built a career through MMA and now he steps onto the world stage with ONE Championship in a difficult debut against Fitikefu. With more professional fights and multiple appearances in ONE, Fitikefu immediately presents a tough test.
“My first thoughts were, ‘Oh crap. Yeah, we’re fighting, guys.’ It’s like this. I’ve been waiting for this moment. I knew it would come sooner or later,” he said.
“It just happened to be short-lived. It didn’t really matter who the opponent was. I’m being thrown to the wolves, this is a tough fight for sure, but it wouldn’t matter who it was. This is going to be part of my story and I’m so excited.”
ONE Fight Night 39 takes place on January 23 from Lumpinee Stadium.
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