ONE Friday Fights 18: Manthan Rane ‘Looking For A Finish’ In Lumpinee Debut

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After three years away from competition, Manthan Rane has picked up his career in the same fashion in which he left it. Now, India's son will once again have the chance to test himself when he joins his fellow combatants at ONE Friday Fights 18.

The strawweight will return to the ring this Friday, 26 May, when he meets Andrey Chelbaev in mixed martial arts action at the illustrious Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

"Metal" Rane competed in ONE Warrior Series in 2019 and 2020, taking home impressive victories over Allan Albino and Joey Baylon to clear his path toward the global stage. It was all going swimmingly, until the COVID pandemic forced his career on hold.

But as 2023 got underway "Metal" returned to competition, went 4-0 on the regional scene, and took home the first professional stoppage of his career this past April. Now that Rane has the opportunity to return to ONE, he's motivated to make up for lost time.

"This is not my first time competing at ONE Championship but my first time competing at ONE Lumpinee. More than that, I'm more excited to be competing at Lumpinee Stadium, which is one of the biggest stadiums in Thailand and has got such a big reputation. That is what I am most excited about," Rane said.

"It is another great opportunity that ONE Championship has given me, so I'm very excited to be taking it. I know it's on very short notice. I have been waiting for the last three years because of the lockdown and everything. I am grateful for it, and it's a very big opportunity."

As a hotly touted prospect returning to ONE, Rane isn't concerned by the pressure to represent India and leave victorious. In fact, he enjoys what comes with this situation, and taking this fight on two weeks' notice only adds to his motivation to walk out with his hand raised.

"There is pressure, but it's about what we believe as a team, and Team Relentless and my coach, Vicky Sir believe in staying in training camp throughout the year," Rane said.

"We don't take long breaks from training, so we are in shape, ready to go, throughout the year. This is exactly the reason [why] I could take such short-notice fight. So, it's something that has been instilled right from the get-go by Vicky Sir and by Nick Sir, that you must be in camp all year around."

The unbeaten MMA fighter will look to close the contest within the distance and mark his return to The Home of Martial Arts emphatically. And given how ONE Friday Fights has become a hub for highlights, Rane will be looking to join in on the fun.

"There are no special skills or special moves. Whatever gets me the finish is my favorite go-to move. I'm sure ONE Lumpinee would be demanding of a finish or an attempt to finish," the strawweight said.

"That mentality is what we bring to our training camp at Team Relentless, and that's what we believe in, to look for the finish every time. I will always be looking for a finish, and I'll try my best to do that."

Source: Media Release