Grappling specialist Harry Grech will get to test his mettle on the global stage this weekend, when he makes his ONE Championship debut.
“Kimura” takes on Thailand-based Iranian Arash Mardani at ONE Friday Fights 2 on January 27 at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Training out of Kick Punch Submit under combat sports legend Peter “The Chief” Graham, Grech comes to ONE with a 3-0 professional record and was most recently in action at Coastal Combat 11 in November, where he submitted Creedence Anderson with his signature Kimura lock.
The 33-year-old will now look to make a statement in the ONE middleweight division when he faces off with Mardani.
Mardani is somewhat of an unknown quantity heading into his full ONE debut.
The 38-year-old fights out of Fairtex Gym in Pattaya, Thailand, and holds an 0-1 professional record.
His lone professional MMA fight took place at ONE Warrior Series 10 back in February 2020, where he lost via first-round TKO to Daniel Van Heerden.
Interestingly, that fight took place at a 242.51 pound catchweight and now Mardani will make the move down to middleweight.
The BJJ brown belt has only competed in grappling tournaments since his pro debut, as well as a boxing bout and a bareknuckle bout, coming out victorious in both.
ONE Friday Fights 2 is headlined by a rematch between Sangmanee PK.Saenchai and Kulabdam Sor.Jor.Piek Uthai, after their first meeting ended in a shocking round one knockout win to Kulabdam back in August 2020.
Now the pair meet again after Sangmanee returned to the win column in September 2022, while Kulabdam has suffered two losses since their first clash.
ONE Friday Fights 2 Full Card
- Bantamweight Muay Thai: Sangmanee PK.Saenchai vs. Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai
- Strawweight Muay Thai: Chalamkhao PK.Saenchai vs. Pettong Kiatsongrit
- Featherweight Muay Thai: Avatar PK.Saenchai vs. Mohammed Siasarani
- Flyweight Muay Thai: Sherzod Kabutov vs. Nakrob Fairtex
- Bantamweight Muay Thai: Yoddoi Kaewsamrit vs. Songchainoi Kiatsongrit
- Bantamweight Muay Thai: Yodlekpet Or. Pitisak vs. Silviu Vitez
- Bantamweight Muay Thai: Pongsiri PK. Saenchai vs. Ferzan Cicek
- Middleweight MMA: Harry Grech vs. Arash Mardani
- Flyweight Muay Thai: Elias Ghazali vs. Ayad Albadr
- Atomweight Muay Thai: Marie Ruumet vs. Thai-Ngan Le
- Lightweight MMA: Jakub Wayman vs. Riccardo Cantindig-Stagg
