The ONE: Warrior Series is an elimination tournament hosted by ONE Championship, and the winner will be given a US$100,000 contract with the company. Several Pakistanis including female fighter Anita Karim and fighter Faizan Khan have already fought under the warriors’ banner.
Irfan Ahmed with Bashir Ahmad.
Irfan, who fights out of Lahore’s Synergy MMA, will be the only Pakistani fighting on the June 20 card. He will be facing Nepal’s national Kickboxing Champion Sandeep Gurung in the Strawweight division.
Sandeep Gurung is a veteran of ONE: Warrior Series, but Irfan’s is not too intimidated. “I respect my opponent and I have seen his last fight. I am going to knock him out in the very first round. It's my first professional fight on the international stage and I am super excited for this," he said.
He also thanked ONE administration, especially former UFC champion Rich Franklin and Bashir Ahmad for the opportunity. “InshAllah I will not disappoint my country,” Irfan promised.
Official Poster.
The 23-year-old is undefeated in national events and has represented Pakistan in the Amateur World Championships in Bahrain. Irfan also captains ‘Team Shaheen,’ an MMA squad founded by Pakistani MMA Godfather Bashir Ahmad. Shaheen Academy is a non-profit facility with a focus on developing youth by sponsoring education and providing after-school tuition alongside martial arts training.
He also thanked his coaches and friends for their continuous support and encouragement. “All this would not be possible without my sponsors, coaches and teammates who are taking care of me as athletes and I won’t disappoint the team.”