Chase Mann’s background in powerlifting is not the typical origin story of a successful MMA fighter, but when it comes to the “Mannimal,” surpassing expectations has been a life-long journey. In an exclusive interview with M&F, the undefeated combat star explains how he’s transitioned from benching barbells to bodies, and why he’s excited to fight Isi Fitikefu in his ONE Championship debut on January 23.
Proving that your start in life doesn’t have to dictate your outcome, Chase Mann is undoubtedly an inspiration. Hailing from Paragould, Arkansas, Mann’s parents were keen for their three kids to play sports but were sadly less able to look after them. They fell into the grip of substance abuse, and this resulted in a rebellious childhood that saw Mann arrested at just ten years of age. While he was later sent to a faith-based treatment facility called Lord’s Ranch, this turned out to be an abusive environment, and he was beaten so badly that on one occasion there was a handprint left around Mann’s throat.
Fortunately, his parents figured out what was going on, and they managed to pull him out of there, but the family would subsequently be rocked by guilt and trauma. Arrests were eventually made at the ranch, but the damage had already been done, leaving Mann to come to terms with an understandable rage. Fortunately, however, the love this family had for each other kept them together, and despite the challenges, positivity was on the horizon.
With Mann’s parents working hard to overcome their addictions, and his own burgeoning family proving to be a salvation, Mann says that once his daughter was born, his entire perception changed. These days, he’s a rising force in MMA, with an undefeated pro streak of 6-0-0. He’s also just days out from his biggest fight yet, against Isi Fitikefu for ONE Championship, but he will never forego his powerlifting roots.
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Chase Mann Became Champion Powerlifter Before Moving into MMA
“I was about 19 years old when I walked into a local gym,” Mann tells M&F. “The first day I signed up at this new gym, they were doing a power lifting competition there. It was like a garage gym, old school, the garage doors were all open. Everybody’s in there lifting crazy weight and I’m like, ‘whoa!’, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
As Mann practiced lifting, an observer named Logan would prove to be an important friend and mentor, teaching him about form and technique, and encouraging the young athlete to enter powerlifting meets. Logan’s instincts, and Mann’s ability to listen and learn, would prove to be great combination. He won several tournaments, including the Junior’s Southern States championship and the Little Rock Classic.
In terms of MMA, Mann says that he always wanted to get into the sport but knew that his mindset wasn’t right during his turbulent teenage years. “Honestly, I had to grow up a little bit mentally,” he shares. His first amateur bout came in 2021 where he defeated his opponent in 90 seconds using a rear naked choke hold. By 2023, the fighter had turned pro and right now holds an undefeated record of 6-0-0. “Getting inside the cage and fighting somebody, it’s one of the scariest things I’ve ever done,” he reflects, comparing the differences between battling barbells and the bodies of his MMA opponents.
Chase Mann Uses his powerlifting background for MMA success
Mann played football as a kid and knows about the physicality that comes when two bodies collide, but while powerlifting is a much different discipline to combat, there are advantages of being a comfortable weightlifter that the Mannimal can bring to the cage. “The way I fight, powerlifting has one hundred percent helped me in MMA,” he explains. “I like to use my strength and my aggression. I come forward. I like to get my hands on people.”
Following his victories, the welterweight is often told by opponents that they were shocked by how strong he is. “I like them to feel that power,” explains Mann, noting that there are times when he literally benches a body off of him, just like he would with a barbell. Of course, there’s a huge difference between lifting a static barbell with a somewhat predictable path, compared with the randomness of his opponents’ movements. “I’ve had to make changes to my training, and it’s been trial and error, but I’ve tried to incorporate and keep as much of that power in everything I do,” explains Mann. “I want to have a strong base, and I think a lot of fighters neglect that area. I think a lot of fighters just do too much running and not enough building of a strong base and core.”
Powerlifting has provided Mann with a solid foundation and has also honed other attributed such as balance and coordination, providing explosive power during MMA bouts, but there are elements of the powerlifting lifestyle that he’s had to dial back. “At first, when I started doing MMA, right when I was getting into it, I tried to keep training the same way, keep doing all the powerlifting,” he shares. “And I just found out; you will get injured. In powerlifting, it’s about training to lift something one time, the heaviest weight possible. But for MMA, I need to lift for 15 minutes, lift the guy’s body weight. I might to that 30 times.”
Mann tells M&F that he still lifts towards percentages of his one rep max. “I still do a compound movement every day,” he explains, but notes that unlike during his powerlifting career, Mann now completes regular full body workouts. There’s also a particular exercise that is now part of this fighter’s routine, that ticks the boxes of building explosive power while also helping to avoid injury.
Chase Mann incorporates smith machine barbell throws
With a relatively light weight, Mann loads up the smith machine for his barbell throws, lying on the bench and launching the bar skywards, letting go, and then catching the bar to control its descent. “I do it for time, so it’s an explosive moment that is mixed with power,” he explains. This is a sensible move, because the smith machine forces the barbell to follow a fixed path, and is less likely to cause strains.
In terms of the scariness of MMA, Mann tells M&F that he’s learned that fear can be used as fuel. “You know, I do better under pressure,” he reflects. That’s just as well, because on January 23, 2026, the Mannimal makes his debut for ONE Championship at Fight Night 39 in Bangkok, Thailand, against former rugby player, Isi Fitikefu. “It’s still surreal to me,” says Mann. “The first time I saw my face on that fight poster, when they announced our fight, I’m not going to lie, I got teary-eyed.”
Still, this inspirational figure is all business. “I would say we have similar styles when it comes to how we fight,” notes Mann of Fitikefu. “He likes to come forward and wrestle and he’s obviously a very big physical guy. He played rugby, I grew up playing football. I think it’s going to be two strong guys meeting in the middle and yeah, we’ll see who can come out on top!”
ONE Fight Night 39 takes place on January 23 with a start time of 6pm PST / 9pm EST. Due the time difference, the show will air on January 24 at 2am in the UK. In addition to Mann vs Fitikefu, a packed card boasts a stellar main event when Thailand’s own Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon finally locking horns with Russian knockout artist Abdulla “Smash Boy” Dayakaev.
