Iranian Hulk is heading to the MMA cage this year

Viral Iranian powerlifter Sajan Gharibi has announced his next outrageous move. Photo / Instagram

Move over CM Punk, MMA has a new novelty bout to hype up.

Iranian powerlifter Sajan Gharibi, known better as the Iranian Hulk, has announced he'll be jumping in the cage this year following his explosive rise on social media.

Standing 1.88m tall, the 27-year-old weighs an incredible 178kg and has amassed over 400,000 followers on Instagram, who tune in to see his daily routine.

"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.

While his martial arts skills are an unknown quantity, merely being underneath this guy on full mount would be terrifying. Should he make a splash on his debut, it's a short guess how long it'd take for Dana White to jump in on the action.

Gharibi, who describes himself as a "living shield for Iran", once pledged to help the fight against ISIS.

"I will always be a soldier for my country."

"The second thing is that, after Ramadan, 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."

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No more regrets No turning back Im moving on Its not over we're going to FIGHT مدت زیادی هست که در مجازی هیچ گونه فعالیتی ندارم دیروز تولد من بود (مرسی از پیام های تبریک تون ) و امروز اعلام میکنم آماده تر از همیشه هستم حتی اگه غیبت طولانی هم داشته باشم رسانه های جهان باز هم من رو صدا میزنن گفتگوی من با خبرگزاری روسیه بزودی منتظر باشید

A post shared by iranian hulk 🇮🇷 (@sajadgharibiofficial) on Dec 20, 2018 at 6:02am PST

But now it seems a career in the cage has become too appetising for the man mountain.

Whispers of a bout against "Brazilian Hulk" Romario dos Santos Alves swirled earlier in the year. While Gharibi didn't confirm the name of his opponent, it appears clear who he will be facing.

"I'm going to go up to 120kg and I'm going to give a message to you, the Iranian Hulk, who is challenging me," dos Santos Alves posted on Instagram

"I'm going to go up to 120 kilos and you're going to go down to 120kg. I'm going to rip off your head."

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Viva a sua vida do jeito que vc achar melhor deste que não prejudica ninguém que está a sua volta, a final de contas tudo nessa vida passa.

A post shared by Romario Dos Santos Alves (@romario_hulkbrasileirooficial) on Feb 28, 2019 at 11:00am PST

The Brazilian Hulk's challenge comes after a superfight showdown between Gharibi and British terror Martyn Ford were first linked to a showdown in 2019.

The tribal tattooed freak has transformed himself from a skinny wannabe cricket star to bodybuilder — and at 6-foot-8 and 143kg he left the world salivating over a potential showdown with the Iranian Hulk.