Chase Mann is 7-0 and he doesn't particularly care. What he does care about is Friday night.
The Arkansas welterweight headlines ONE Fight Night 42 against Dzhabir Dzhabrailov, an unbeaten Turkish finisher who has stopped all three of his ONE Championship opponents inside the first two minutes.
The event takes place Friday, April 10, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, broadcasting in U.S. primetime on Amazon Prime Video.
Between them, Mann and Dzhabrailov own 13 wins and 11 stoppages. Neither has lost. One of those records ends this week, and the winner could be next in line for Christian Lee's ONE Welterweight MMA World Championship.
Mann has watched every one of Dzhabrailov's fights and arrives with a clear read on the threat in front of him.
"He is another killer," Mann said. "He looks like a Muay Thai fighter. He's got very good skills. He's got very explosive striking. He usually gets it done in the first round, so I must find a way to use that against him."
That last part is where Mann's game plan takes shape. Dzhabrailov's calling card — relentless early pressure, hands moving, always hunting the finish — is precisely what Mann intends to turn against him. A forward-moving opponent suits a fighter who wants to close the distance, get his hands on people, and drag the fight to the mat.
Mann made his promotional debut in January with a first-round TKO of Isi Fitikefu at ONE Fight Night 39, but his background is in powerlifting as much as MMA, and his preferred finishing sequence is built around that physical foundation.
"I like to come forward, pick people up, slam them, and hit them on the ground," he said. "A skill like that, just forward pressure and aggression, can also be a weakness."
None of that means Mann is treating Friday as a formality. He's been deliberate about keeping the undefeated-versus-undefeated framing in its proper place.
"It's a cool thing that we're both undefeated, but I'm not holding on to that," he said. "I hear a lot of guys say they're fighting not to lose, and they're holding on to it. I'm just fighting to win."
The distinction matters. Fighters who protect records tend to play it safe at the wrong moments. Mann has already mapped out Friday's final chapter in his head. Asked for a prediction, he didn't hesitate.
"Somebody's getting finished. It's not going to a decision. It might take two, or it might take three. But I think I'll submit him halfway through the third round," he said.
