{"id":408132,"date":"2026-01-14T07:12:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/408132\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T07:12:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:12:07","slug":"anythings-possible-chase-manns-journey-from-troubled-youth-to-undefeated-mma-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/408132\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Anything\u2019s Possible\u2019 \u2013 Chase Mann\u2019s Journey From Troubled Youth To Undefeated MMA Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

Undefeated American MMA star Chase \u201cMannimal\u201d Mann<\/a> is ready to prove that perseverance can overcome any beginning, no matter how tragic it may be.<\/p>\n

The Arkansas native will make his promotional debut, live in U.S. primetime, against Australian-Tongan standout Isi \u201cDoxz\u201d Fitikefu<\/a> in a welterweight MMA showdown at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video<\/a> on Friday, January 23.<\/p>\n

Mann\u2019s road to the global stage has been marked by resilience, redemption, and an unwavering belief that faith and hard work can transform lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From a troubled childhood in the Deep South to becoming one of America\u2019s most promising MMA fighters, the 29-year-old\u2019s journey embodies the power of second chances. Before he steps into Bangkok\u2019s historic Lumpinee Stadium, we look at Mann\u2019s path to ONE Championship.<\/p>\n

From Trouble To Transformation<\/p>\n

Mann, the middle child of three siblings, grew up in the heart of Arkansas, where he was surrounded by fields and farms in the small towns of Paragould and Lake City. But beneath the surface of rural simplicity, his childhood was anything but stable.<\/p>\n

His father and mother struggled with drug addiction throughout his youth. Though they loved their kids deeply and encouraged them to play every sport imaginable, the grip of substance abuse created chaos he couldn\u2019t control. Because of that, the Mann children split time living between their parents and grandparents\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n

By the age of 10, he had been arrested for the first time \u2013 he was caught spray painting in a park and even shattered a window. But those offenses masked a deeper pain.<\/p>\n

Mann recalled:<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like saying I was a bad kid \u2019cause I don\u2019t like to put that label on me. But I made a lot of bad choices.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were both addicts. They were great parents. They were always very loving, always really encouraging, but they just had an addiction. They have recovered now and are doing great, but my upbringing was a little non-consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a few more arrests for petty vandalism, a court-ordered therapist convinced Mann\u2019s mother and father to send him to a faith-based treatment facility called Lord\u2019s Ranch.<\/p>\n

Then suddenly, one morning, a truck showed up at his house. The workers packed his bags, put him in the vehicle, and left for the hour-long drive up north to Warm Springs. The \u201cMannimal\u201d had no idea where he was going.<\/p>\n

What was supposed to be a nine-month program became a month that would leave lasting scars. <\/p>\n

The facility\u2019s workers hit some of the kids, including Mann, and even forced them to fight each other for amusement. And on his 29th day at Lord\u2019s Ranch, an employee kicked in a bathroom door and beat him badly enough to leave a handprint around his throat.<\/p>\n

When his father and mother saw the bruises during their first family visit just a day later, they pulled him out of Lord\u2019s Ranch immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mann shared:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents got me out of there, filed a lawsuit, and then they relapsed. That was kind of the big thing that made them really fall off the deep end because they blamed themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just a lot of physical abuse there. The workers, a lot of them, went to prison and jail for all kinds of assault when the FBI eventually raided them. The place got shut down. The owner got arrested. It was awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mann, however, was still up to mischief even after the incident. There was a lot of anger and sadness he was trying to let out.<\/p>\n

But that all changed when he was 19 years old. The Arkansas native welcomed the birth of his first-born child, and that instantly caused him to turn over a new leaf.<\/p>\n

He told onefc.com:<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce my daughter was born, it kind of just woke up something inside of me. God kept me grounded. God saved my life, and I can say that for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Lifelong Dream Delayed By Fear<\/p>\n

While Mann\u2019s childhood was marked by instability, one constant remained: his obsession with combat.<\/p>\n

The Lake City native made action figures battle each other as a kid, but these weren\u2019t simple clashes. Even at four years old, he studied the mechanics \u2013 slipping imaginary jabs, countering with uppercuts, and understanding positioning and techniques before he even knew their official names.<\/p>\n

By age 13, when students filled out their career orientation sheets, Mann wrote down two options:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had my sheet of paper in front of me, and there was this question, \u2018What do you want to be when you grow up?\u2019 And I was like, \u2018Either in the NFL or becoming an MMA fighter.\u2019 The teacher said, \u2018What\u2019s that? What are you talking about?\u2019 But I said I wanted to be a professional athlete, one way or the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this clarity, fear held him back. At 15, he trained briefly after watching his older brother practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But Mann worried constantly about what others would think if they saw him lose.<\/p>\n

So, he focused on football, excelling as a quarterback and earning scholarship offers from various colleges. But he ultimately turned those down. He was still in his \u201cwild phase,\u201d as he puts it.<\/p>\n

Soon, Mann calmed down, and after his daughter\u2019s birth, he channeled his competitive fire into powerlifting, where he set state and national records. He even squatted 700 pounds. But it was never truly what he wanted \u2013 powerlifting just filled a void until he found the courage to chase his other dream.<\/p>\n

At 21, something clicked. A friend at his powerlifting gym, who did BJJ and Muay Thai, ran a small martial arts program.<\/p>\n

Mann trained there briefly, but then he heard about a competitive school nearby in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, called The LC. The welterweight hopeful decided to try it out, and he was humbled by his first session.<\/p>\n

He shared:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy very first night there, I got choked out by a girl, and I thought, \u2018This is where I need to be.\u2019 From the day I started, I came home and told my girlfriend, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m doing this. I want to do this.\u2019 And she was on board.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chasing Perfection, Not Records<\/p>\n

Over the next several years, Mann developed his skills in all areas of the game and even tested himself in grappling tournaments. And then in September 2021, he finally made his first walk to the cage for an amateur MMA bout.<\/p>\n

However, he needed some convincing in the months leading up to it.<\/p>\n

Though he dreamed of being a mixed martial arts superstar, fear had consumed him once again. He was stressed and full of anxiety, and the nerves never went away.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Mann told his coach, Tommy Walker, to just schedule a match for him.<\/p>\n

Walker obliged. Following a few months\u2019 worth of training sessions, that September date came and \u201cMannimal\u201d stepped into the cage for the first time in his life.<\/p>\n

And as soon as the cage door shut on fight night, an aura of calmness overshadowed any negatives that the Arkansas native carried.<\/p>\n

Mann recalled:<\/p>\n

\u201cI kept saying, \u2018Let\u2019s wait, I want to make sure I\u2019m ready.\u2019 And then eventually, I said, \u2018Coach, you\u2019re just going to have to book this fight and tell me when I\u2019m fighting because I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever do it,\u2019 and he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it was surreal, man. I couldn\u2019t feel my legs when I was in there. Still, it was amazing. It was everything I dreamed of. As soon as the cage door locked, and I looked across [to my opponent], I knew this was it. I was like, \u2018This is it, man. This is where I want to be.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Mann went on to win that fight via rear-naked choke in 90 seconds. He claimed three more victories in his amateur run, capped by a title in February 2023.<\/p>\n

The Lake City resident made his professional debut four months later and has been flawless in his campaign, compiling a 6-0 record with an 80 percent finishing rate. \u201cMannimal,\u201d however, barely acknowledges his pristine slate.<\/p>\n

Even with a plethora of highlight-reel knockouts and submissions, Mann still walks into the locker room critiquing himself:<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople ask me a lot about the undefeated record, and I don\u2019t really care about that. I just want to keep getting better. The goal always is I want to go in there and be perfect. I want to make my coach proud. I want to make my wife proud. I want to make Arkansas proud.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to build something here. I\u2019m trying to show these kids who come from nothing, like I did, that you can do anything. If you believe in yourself with God on your side, just with the right mentality, anything\u2019s possible. I want to leave a legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mann\u2019s Big ONE Championship Arrival<\/p>\n

In 2025, Mann had conversations with his team about what he wanted to accomplish in the all-encompassing sport. The answer crystallized quickly: he wanted to share the stage with the greatest fighters in the world.<\/p>\n

The American welterweight had been a ONE Championship fan since its inception. When MMA GOAT and former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Demetrious \u201cMighty Mouse\u201d Johnson<\/a> joined the promotion in October 2018, his interest intensified.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About a year ago, something began pulling him toward the world\u2019s largest martial arts organization. The decision wasn\u2019t just about competition. It was about proving to himself that a kid from Arkansas could defy the odds and stand among the best.<\/p>\n

Mann said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to compete against the best in the world, and I wanted to prove myself. I want to see, and I want to find out. And, yeah, it was pretty crazy how it actually happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

After his most recent victory in May 2025, he reached out to express his interest in joining the roster via email.<\/p>\n

Lake City\u2019s finest then sent another follow-up email, declaring his readiness to make his debut on the global stage. ONE Championship\u2019s matchmakers responded, but the initial offer was a bit too soon for the warrior from the Deep South.<\/p>\n

Soon, the right moment arrived. Mann received the offer to face Fitikefu<\/a>, a tough test that would immediately show he belonged in the organization.<\/p>\n

The Arkansas native, who welcomed his second child last September, recalled:<\/p>\n

\u201cI sent another message to ONE, saying, \u2018Let me know, I\u2019m ready, if there\u2019s ever an opportunity.\u2019 And then, yeah, that was it. It was just a short-notice phone call or email, I should say, and we took it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On January 23, when \u201cMannimal\u201d steps inside the \u201cMadison Square Garden of the East,\u201d he won\u2019t be fighting just for himself.<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll be fighting for kids who were told they\u2019re not good enough, for every young person trapped in cycles of poverty and addiction, and for everyone who needs to see that transformation is possible.<\/p>\n

The bell will sound. Mann will look across the ring at his opponent. And just like that first MMA bout in 2021, he\u2019ll know exactly where he belongs. This is where he wants to be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Undefeated American MMA star Chase \u201cMannimal\u201d Mann is ready to prove that perseverance can overcome any beginning, no…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408133,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,638,82],"class_list":["post-408132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408132\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}