Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes has been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he’s beyond thrilled to step onto the grandest stage of submission grappling in a couple of days.
The Brazilian grappler make shis ONE Championship debut against fellow countryman, Fabricio Andrey, in a featherweight submission grappling bout at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video this Friday, February 13.
Ahead of fight night inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes revealed what competing inside the Circle means to him.
“To be honest, I’ve always wanted to fight at the big stage like ONE. I think it’s the biggest stage in our sport,” the 28-year-old told ONE Championship in a one-on-one interview.
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The challenge couldn’t be tougher for Mendes in his debut. Andrey holds a 2-0 record in the promotion with dominant triumphs against Eduardo Granzotto and Ashley Williams.
North American fight fans can catch this exciting submission grappling war and the entire ONE Fight Night 40 card, live in U.S. primetime, for free on February 13.
Fight fans around the world, meanwhile, can tune in to all the action on ONE’s YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com. Geo-restrictions may apply.
Fabricio Andrey lists his advantages over Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes in ONE Fight Night 40 battle
Fabricio Andrey believes his world-class wrestling skills will give him the upper hand against Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes in the Thai capital city this Friday.
“My wrestling skills are way more advanced than his, and I think it’s gonna be my biggest advantage in the match. Also, the rule set plays in my favor in that aspect, so I’ll make the most of it,” the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion told the promotion in a separate interview.
This won’t be the first time the Brazilians lock horns. ‘Hokage’ defeated Mendes via choke in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Pan Americans, and the latter will be gunning to level their series at ONE Fight Night 40.
Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
