Words by Ed King
Erdington’s undefeated professional MMA star, Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair, is preparing for his next fight – this time taking on Sweeden’s Mateo Lerena on Saturday 13 September.
To be held at the Västerås Kongress entertainment and exhibition venue – in Västerås, Sweeden – the international bout is being organised by Fight Club Rush (FCR), Scandanivia’s self-declared ‘fastest growing MMA organisation’.
Taking a break from training, Mo Zubair told Erdington Local: “I’m looking forward to showcasing my skillset on FCR – it’s a huge show, live on UFC Fight Pass which goes out to millions of people across the world.”
He added: “I’ve worked hard for this opportunity a win here takes me one more step closer to my dream of signing to the UFC.”
UFC Fight Pass, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s official digital streaming service, is a global media platform for the sport – broadcasting over 40 fights each year to over 600,000 subscribers across the world.
The attention from UFC in broadcasting this event is a shot in the arm to Zubair’s rising profile within the world of MMA, as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of Team Renegade peer and UFC World Champion Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards.
Both Mo Zubair and Leon Edwards were raised in North Birmingham and trained at the Ultimate Training Centre gym, that was once located on Erdington High Street, with the two young sportsmen finding the world of MMA a lifeline in their youth.
Zubair previous told Erdington Local: “Leon is a big inspiration to me; he has been really supportive. He has let me join him in training camps and join him on the circuit.”
He added: “He proves what can be achieved. We are alike, we both came from the streets and just turned up to the gym and changed our lives.”
Mo Zubair moved into professional MMA in March 2024, facing off against Spain Santata Nester and beating his opponent by corner stoppage in the first round.
His next fight, against Darlington’s Liam Thoams – who stood three inches over Zubair – saw him knock out his opponent with a precision placed left hook in the first ten seconds of the fight, despite Zubair only accepting the bout eight days prior to stepping in the ring.
Zubair currently has five professional fighters to his name, winning four of them in the first round.
Only Mauro Pina, also from England, managed to last the distance with Zubair – but lost to unanimous judges’ decision, allowing Zubair to maintain his unbeaten professional record.
Mateo Lerena has fought two professional MMA bouts and is also undefeated.
Zubair fights mostly in the Bantamweight class, standing 5ft 7in and weighing in at 126lbs. Mateo Lerena fights both Bantamweight and Flyweight, standing at 5ft 7in and weighing in at 130 lbs.
Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair will face Mateo Lerena on 13 September at the Västerås Kongress in Sweeden.
The fight will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass, for more details and to secure a live stream visit: www.ufcfightpass.com
Alternatively, for more details for on Mo Zubair’s fight against Mateo Lerena visit www.facebook.com/fightclubrushfcr
And click on the following links to follow Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair on Instagram and Facebook.
