ONE Championship has signed four Iranian fighters this week. Among the new arrivals joining Ali Aliakbari on the roster is undefeated light heavyweight Masoud Safari.
Safari holds a professional record of 6-0-1. He will add depth to a division which is currently ruled by Aung La Nsang, with heavyweight champion Brandon Vera having dropped down for an unsuccessful title challenge at ONE: ‘Century’ Part II.
The headline signing was that of Aliakbari. The Rizin veteran had previously agreed terms with the UFC and is regarded as one of the best heavyweight prospects on the planet.
Also bolstering the roster are Mehdi Bergi who holds a 2-2 record and competes in the light heavyweight division. The fourth Iranian signed this week is Ali Fouladi. The middleweight is 2-0 and will start out with ONE Warrior Series.
Iran has been hit harder than any other Middle Eastern country by Covid-19. Recent figures suggest there have been 451,024 cases and nearly 42,000 deaths.
At present Iranians are allowed to leave the country. But travel restrictions look likely to be tightened after a recent surge in the number of cases.
There is no prospect of any Iranian based fighters being able to appear on a ONE Championship card in the immediate future. But when restrictions are eased these four fighters will be ready to make their promotional debuts.
