Chase Mann is set to make his ONE Championship debut on Jan. 23, drawing a tough opening assignment against Isi Fitikefu at ONE Fight Night 39 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
Mann’s (6-0) path to the global stage was shaped by a difficult and often unstable childhood in Arkansas, where he grew up as the middle child of three siblings. Raised in small towns such as Paragould and Lake City, Mann has spoken about an upbringing marked by chaos, with both parents dealing with drug addiction.
As a result, Mann and his siblings frequently bounced between living with their parents and grandparents, navigating an environment that lacked consistency. Mann was getting into trouble as a kid before eventually finding stability and direction through combat sports, a turning point that helped him turn his life around and pursue a career in fighting.
“Everything happened for a reason. I like to think there’s a purpose for everything. Ideally I would have rather had a normal childhood, of course, I would have rather things gone differently,” Mann told Cageside Press.
“It’s made me into the man I am today, and I truly believe it’s a 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 passed on pursuing football in college and instead shifted to bodybuilding before eventually finding his way to martial arts. MMA is where he ultimately 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 then once I started seeing the fighters and hearing their stories, I felt like I could relate,” he said.
“I knew from day one. I went and did a class, and came home, and told my family like, ‘hey I’m going to do this.’ I’m gonna try and make a career out of this and they were all supportive.”
Mann has built a career through MMA, and now he steps onto the global stage with ONE Championship in a difficult debut against Fitikefu. With more professional bouts and multiple appearances in ONE already, Fitikefu presents a stiff test right out of the gate.
“My first thoughts were, ‘oh crap. Yeah we got a fight on our hands boys.’ Like this is it. I’ve been waiting for this moment. I knew it would come sooner or later,” he said.
“It just so happened to be a short-notice. Really it didn’t matter who the opponent was. I am getting thrown to the wolves, this is tough fight for sure, but it wouldn’t have mattered who it was. This is going to be part of my story and I’m so excited.”
ONE Fight Night 39 goes down on January 23 from Lumpinee Stadium.
