'I'm ready for the challenge': 'Iranian Hulk' Sajad Gharibi announces debut MMA fight

Gargantuan power weightlifter Sajad Gharibi, known to many as the 'Iranian Hulk', has announced on social media that his debut mixed martial arts fight will come next year against an unnamed Brazilian opponent.

Exact details such as the date, the promotion or even the identity of his opponent have yet to be revealed but as the Hulk said on social media, he is prepared for what comes ahead.

"I'm finally accepting my first professional fight from a Brazilian fighter before 2020," Gharibi wrote on Instagram. "I'm ready for the challenge," he added.

The 6ft 2in, 385 lbs behemoth caused something of a storm late last year when it was revealed that he was in talks to face English bodybuilder and so-called 'scariest man on the planet' Martyn Ford, likely under the banner of the KSW promotion in Poland, and while that fight failed to come to fruition it seems as though the 'Iranian Hulk' is intent on pushing forward with his debut fight.

While he doesn't yet have any professional MMA experience Gharibi's sheer size would present trouble for fellow novice super-heavyweights, particularly given experience in wrestling - a hugely popular activity in his native Iran. 

His entrance into mixed martial arts isn't exactly a unique move. Former five-time World's Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski transitioned to MMA in 2009 and in the following decade has put together a respectable record in the sport, facing the likes of former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. 

Gharibi has become a social media celebrity in recent years owing to a steady stream of pictures showing of his massive physique and the several meals he eats each day. His following on Instagram alone has grown to nearly 450,000 in the last two years.

His daily routine is said to comprise of starting the day with a full English breakfast, washed down by an energy drink. He will also top up his nutrition throughout the day with helpings of chicken, fish, fruit and plenty of milk. 

And, as per his own words, it seems that his fights may not just take place inside a cage - he has suggested that he would be open to joining the Iranian Armed Forces to help in the continued fight against ISIS.

"I will always be a soldier for my country," he said in 2016. "I hope to start up my training again and reach my goal, in two or three years, to be in good enough shape to be of service to my country."