5 Things To Know About ‘ONE On TNT I’ Heavyweight Mehdi Barghi
Mehdi Barghi is one of the talented Iranian wrestlers who are looking to take the mixed martial arts world by storm in ONE Championship.
The 35-year-old from Tehran will make his second promotional appearance against “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at “ONE on TNT I” on Wednesday, 7 April, as The Home Of Martial Arts begins its huge month of fights on United States prime-time television.
Here are five things you should know about Barghi ahead of his epic heavyweight battle with viral sensation “Reug Reug.”
#1 An Iranian Wrestling Champion
In a nation famed — and feared — for its elite wrestlers, Barghi has battled his way to the top of the pile.
The heavyweight warrior is an Iranian National Wrestling Champion who’s adapted his skills successfully to the mixed martial arts world.
In particular, Barghi has drafted his lightning-fast single-leg takedown into his new sport, which he uses to dump rivals onto the canvas and begin his aggressive ground assaults.
#2 He Trains With Other Elite Fighters
Fortunately for Barghi, he’s surrounded by other elite athletes who’ve also bridged the gap from wrestling to mixed martial arts.
For instance, he is a teammate of fellow ONE star Amir Aliakbari at AAA Team, and the pair can regularly be found training together as key sparring partners.
Alongside them are the likes of countrymen Masoud Safari and Ali Fouladi.
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#3 He Is Fearless
Barghi is rarely afraid – whether inside or outside of the Circle.
One of his favorite pastimes is basking in the warm Iranian waters with his friends — and if that includes a kamikaze dive off a cliff, then he will happily take the plunge.
Here, the AAA Team star can be seen throwing himself off the rocks before splashing into the water below, with the shockingly small swimming attire helping to make the bulky heavyweight more streamlined.
#4 Developing At A Quick Rate
Barghi is no longer simply a wrestler. Opponents have to fear his power, as he showed when he rocked “Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won in his ONE debut and with a slew of finishes from earlier in his mixed martial arts career.
The man from Iran has taken the best elements of his grappling background and added striking to them, aiding a seamless transition to the all-encompassing sport.
Against Kang, we saw Barghi set up his takedowns behind a heavy right hand and attack relentlessly on the canvas with ground-and-pound, which is bad news for any rival stuck underneath him.
#5 A Practitioner Of Traditional Styles
Barghi is still a wrestler at heart, but he’s not just had success in the widely popular freestyle variant.
The Iranian is also a practitioner of local styles, including belt wrestling, which is traditional within his Persian culture.
Above, you can see him in action in a kurash-style competition, where the opposing wrestlers start by gripping their rival’s belt, before looking to finish the contest with a throw.
Read more: Rich Franklin: U.S. Fans Will Be Hooked By ‘ONE On TNT’ Series
