Antonio Mammarella will be competing on the biggest stage of his career so far in his upcoming matchup, and he never fails to acknowledge the person who was there at the start of his martial arts career.

The 24-year-old is set to debut in ONE Championship when he battles Adrian Lee in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II, on Friday, June 7, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Antonio Mammarella recounts his MMA journey

Growing up in the small town of Vacri, Italy, Mammarella was lucky to find an elite MMA trainer, who helped develop his passion for combat sports at a young age.

“I found MMA thanks to my first coach, Angelo Pompeo. I started when I was 11 when he first started to teach classes inside the school gym. Then he moved a bit further, and I was able to rejoin only when I had the opportunity to move by myself with a small motorcycle at the age of 16,” he told ONE in a recent interview. 

Having more independence helped the burgeoning martial artist get closer to Pompeo, and they worked hard to grow his interest.

Mammarella went on to compete in 15 amateur MMA fights under his mentor’s guidance, which established him as a promising talent in the region, and he remains eternally grateful for the help he received.

Mammarella gives all the credit to Coach Pompeo

“He was already having success with guys competing in the amateur MMA World Championship. It’s crazy to think that all of this was happening and still does in such a small town with elite athletes growing up. I’ve been seven years under his guidance, and I learned so much. I’ll never be thankful enough to him,” he said. 

The Italian star has since moved to Australia in search of better competition. Though he may be miles away from Pompeo, he has kept him in his life in a way, as his current coach at Sydney’s MMA Family Fight Team – Renato Subotic – is a longtime friend. 

On June 7, Mammarella has a chance to prove he belongs among the elite in ONE Championship, and he’ll undoubtedly have Pompeo in mind when he steps into action at ONE 167.