heavywgt MMA conducts insightful interviews with lifetime martial artists, combat sport fighters and other interesting people. Also do predictions on fights that are of particular interest.
CKB Coach and ex-fighter Eugene Bareman and his team have developed champions in the sports of MMA, kickboxing and boxing amongst others. Eugene has a mind for combat sports and it was an honour to hear his thoughts on. a variety of topics. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:14 Road to UFC Success - Aaron Tau and Lawrence Liu00:56 Lawrence's fight and history02:24 Natural talent vs persistence and drive04:45 Unique qualities of Israel, Dan, Carlos & Kai07:41 Aaron Tau's style and fight at Road to UFC10:29 Kieran Joblin's recent success12:33 Eugene's transition from fighting to coaching16:25 Do Eugene's children train17:07 Training kids to fight17:30 Path of fighters and adversity22:19 Changes in training arrangements27:49 S&C and extra training versus actual fight training29:39 Mental preparation and monitoring fighters 33:26 CKB gym sparring35:06 Dan Hooker's backyard fights37:55 Safety 39:40 CKB aspirations and the future46:03 Conclusion
MMA Fighter Cory Shadbolt is an MMA Fighter from New Zealand trained under Coach Hostile Karl Webber. Embarking on his pro MMA career he is looking to make his mark on the scene. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:17 Canterbury Fight Centre and fights in Macau01:34 Pro fights in India and Thailand03:22 India07:26 Training in Thailand10:03 Bangtao MMA11:26 Start in Martial Arts13:36 Plans in MMA14:50 Am to Pro15:39 Conclusion
Australian MMA Fighter Brodie Mayocchi has an upcoming fight on Hex Fight Series 35 against Artemios Trepca. Both undefeated as pros, it promises to be a good fight. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction/mullets00:59 Training with City kickboxing (CKB)01:30 Missing Hunting and fishing02:11 Pig Hunting 02:59 Hex FS 35 fight against Artemios Trepca04:00 What does he expect in the fight04:43 Plans in MMA05:57 Start in Martial Arts07:53 QLD scene08:46 International comps10:05 Aaron Tau and Lawrence Lui fighting in China11:11 Long term goals11:39 Family support12:13 Conclusion
Jack Becker from Scrappy MMA is fighting in "The Road to UFC" Promotion in Shanghai for a chance at securing a UFC contract.
MMA Fighter Kasib Murdoch will fight Liam Gusti for the hex bantamweight title on Hex Fight Series 35 in Melbourne. Interview details below:00:15 Upcoming title fight against Gusti00:51 Gusti's style01:49 Damaging opponents05:25 Trying to hold Volkanovski down06:55 Fighting a Balinese08:23 Road to UFC and Contender10:19 Seb Szalay on the Road to UFC and difference in style11:56 Fighting in melbourne13:15 Pathway after the title14:00 Prediction for the fight14:52 Conclusion
Australian MMA Fighter Kitt Campbell takes on Chinese Fighter Tai Yi Lake in Shanghai China as part of the Road to UFC Promotion. After years in the trenches Kitt hopes to get a good win and his chance to fight in the UFC. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction - Road to UFC call up00:50 The opportunity01:32 Opponent02:49 Showcase fight03:47 First international fight05:08 Fighting in the PI05:47 Australian Elite team and Tosca Petridis07:58 Fought big names from NZ and Oz08:44 Growing up on Phillip Island09:37 Startout as Judo player11:33 Conclusion
Professional MMA Fighter Nathaniel Law -is fighting out of The Fight Centre, under Ben Johnston and also trains at CKB regularly. After a good fight and win against Mario logo in March on beatdown promotions, he is looking for his next one at Eternal MMA 95 against Sam marles. Full interview details below:
CKB's Navajo Stirling is fighting towards his dreams of UFC greatness. In his way is fighter Ivan Erslan who he will fight on UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal, Canada. Full interview details below:
Aussie Fighter Dom Mar Fan, who trains out of Team Compton MMA, has been chosen to compete in the "Road to UFC", a tournament designed to elevate top MMA prospects from Asia and the Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, to earn UFC contracts. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction - growing into the pro ranks00:48 Fighting internationally - Road to UFC01:44 China Fighters from the UFC PI - science vs determination/persistence04:21 Dom"s family going to Shanghai?06:05 Preparation to go to China - chinese language 07:34 Fight name "Street Buddha" and enlightenment through martial arts11:25 Opponents in the Road to UFC13:22 Looking for the finish16:05 Tournament format16:35 Looking around China17:17 Mark Timms striking coach at UFC PI in Shanghai18:33 Downtime and other activities20:17 Quillan Salkilld21:43 Team Compton training22:48 Conclusion
City Kickboxing's Lawrence "Lozza" Lui is heading to Shanghai to take part in the "Road to UFC" promotion in May. Amongst the best in the Asia Pacific Region, Lawrence will have a chance to win the series and get a UFC Contract. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:24 Shuriken Fight Series championship fights00:53 Road to UFC01:58 Aaron Tau and Australians in the show02:28 Going to China04:44 Interest in fighting in China and Shanghai06:57 Team going to Shanghai07:16 CKB Training partners08:16 Series fighting and finale on UFC08:57 First Opponent and CKB ties10:09 Current mindset 10:48 Emotions when fighting11:57 Lead up to the fights12:33 Mullet power13:20 Conclusion
Australian Fighter Seb Szalay, who trains out of Freestyle MMA alongside Alexander Volkanovski, has been chosen to compete in the "Road to UFC", a tournament designed to elevate top MMA prospects from Asia and the Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, to earn UFC contracts. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:11 Feelings on competing internationally again00:35 Road to UFC01:34 Fighting internationally02:21 Opponents02:56 Kung Fu vs Karate03:47 Fighting in China04:40 Corner 05:01 Time to look around China06:25 Freestyle MMA preparation for the fight07:18 Eternal belt status08:33 Road to UF opens to Australia and NZ09:26 George Mangos10:42 Recent title defence win over Tasar Malone 11:25 Freestyle and CKB feinting and footwork12:46 Conclusion
New Zealand Fighter Aaron Tau, who trains out of CKB Gym, has been chosen to compete in the "Road to UFC", a tournament designed to elevate top MMA prospects from Asia and the Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, to earn UFC contracts. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:09 Road to UFC00:30 Fighting internationally - Bali and China01:42 Travelling NZ03:29 CKB links to China05:00 Chinese team mates coming to China06:05 New Chinese fight name07:05 Road to UFC opponents09:02 Weight cut11:24 Any changes after DWCS fight? Maori battle tactics16:20 Advice for young Maori fighters18:48 Conclusion
Mark Timms has travelled and trained internationally during his foray into professional kickboxing. Having notably trained and fought at CKB alongside Israel Adesanya and a host of other killers, he currently resides in Shanghai China and is the striking coach at the Shanghai UFC Performance Institute.00:00 Intro00:15 China & training/fighting 02:57 China fighters skills04:24 Muay Thai fighters in HK and Macau04:55 Fighting?06:10 Assessing athletes/ the combine at the UFC performance institute08:58 Other factors such as consistency10:14 Shanghai UFC PI Approach12:30 Benefits of international training and Mark's path16:20 Fighting Izzy 17:33 Joe Schilling vibes18:00 MMA Fights?19:33 CKB takeaways23:03 Mentors at CKB24:16 Phenoms at CKB27:00 Fighters to look out for at UFC PI28:55 Conclusion
MMA fighter Josh Kuhne looks to add a spectacular W to his MMA career before venturing to bare knuckle boxing. In his path is veteran MMA fighter Jesse Medina. Interview details below:
Anthony Drilich is back in action after submitting Scotsman Bryan Hyslop on Eternal MMA 93 in Perth. Looking to get back to UFC contention, Anthony is taking one fight at a time and looking for finishes. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:09 Eternal MMA 93 win against Bryan Hyslop00:25 Notching up a win01:25 Dana White Contender Series experience01:53 Contender fight with Sean Gauci04:05 Training at Scrappy and Drilich Combat Academy (DCA)04:28 Areas for improvement05:20 Eternal fight performance06:39 Measured in first round, pick it up in the second round09:00 Celebration afterwards10:52 Fighting in Perth vs Vegas12:03 DCA12:55 Role of people around Anthony to his success13:41 Short Term goals14:20 Eternal Belt?14:40 Fights during 202515:04 Goal over the next few years15:30 Conclusion
Astroboy himself, Steve Erceg takes another big fight against Brandon Moreno in Mexico City on his path to the title. Interview details below:
Benny Regan is a rising superstar of Australian Kickboxing and Muay Thai. With his natural talent and determination, it's not long until we will see him in one of the big international shows. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:17 NT Fight Series Full Muay Thai rules title ko win01:00 Technique: Left Hook left liver kick02:03 Stab kick03:12 Time off concentrating on the Team Regan gym04:22 Chasing a fight in a big organization like One FC and training at Tiger Muay Thai05:34 K1 to Muay Thai07:23 One FC Friday Night Fights10:14 Edibles in Thailand10:33 Boxing fights12:20 Mental preparation for a fight13:20 Motivation to compete at a high level15:11 Post fight reflections17:08 Typical day in training20:31 Advice for aspiring fighters21:48 Life after fighting23:40 Go to street fight move25:39 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?26:44 Conclusion
CKB Fighter Kieran Joblin will take on Justin Van Heerden at Hex Fight Series 34. This is a battle of two experienced veterans of the fight game and promises to be a great battle. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction
Jack Jenkins is taking on Gabriel Santos in UFC312 in Sydney Australia.Interview details below:00:00 Introduction
After almost 20 years training combat sports, Australian MMA Fighter Colby Thicknesse gets his shot at the UFC on 2 weeks' notice against Aleksandre Topuria (Ilia Topuria's brother). Interview details below:
Rocky Ogden has fought Muay Thai, MMA and Boxing across his career. Now focused on Boxing he is planning a big 2025. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:30 Recent boxing fight against Matcha Nakagawa01:23 Japan02:39 Focusing on boxing03:33 Activity in 2025 04:24 Financial situation as a pro boxer 05:04 Skill set of boxing 06:28 Head contact in boxing09:36 NTG and Nugget11:00 Real fighters 11:49 Boxing is changing 13:00 2025 plans13:43 Conclusion
Dan Hooker on his highly anticipated fight with Justin Gaethje on March 8th at UFC in Vegas. Details below:00:00 Introduction00:39 Macau China & MMA in China02:10 Matchup against Justin Gaethje 04:00 Gaethje's technical skills05:10 Will it be a slug fest? 06:32 Onx gloves07:35 UFC311 Merab09:28 On Islam Makachev10:48 Dan's moment in the corner with Gamrot13:02 Sparring Speed13:39 If you had to fight a bear or a lion or a gorilla which one would you choose and what would your strategy be15:21 Conclusion
MMA Fighter Sebastian Szalay comes from a Karate family and background. This results in his unique style/skills which he uses against his opposition. Currently holding the Eternal Featherweight belt, Seb is working towards a career with the UFC. Full interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:11 Freestyle MMA00:40 Eternal feather weight champ01:21 Developing his MMA style - Karate base03:20 Karate as a fighting art04:37 Longevity and karate 05:17 What training he enjoys 06:49 Training partners at Freestyle MMA07:43 Biggest shittalkers?08:09 Preparation for upcoming fight with Tazar Malone at eternal mma 92 on Feb 8th08:50 Tazar as an opponent10:29 Why did Seb start fighting11:38 Style of Karate12:26 Mental prep routine13:27 Motivation to compete at a high level14:00 Goals in MMA14:36 comparisons with former UF fighters with a Karate base17:00 Post fight reflections17:53 Typical day in training18:47 Advice for aspiring fighters19:42 Life after fighting20:21 Go to street fight move21:05 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?23:50 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?24:56 Conclusion
Jarrett Wilbraham says he wants to bring the wild man back in his upcoming Featherweight title fight against Diego Pereira in Beatdown promotions. Fighting out of Freestyle MMA, alongside fighters such as Alexander Volkanovski , Colby Thicknesse, Justin VanHeerden and Kasib Murdoch, he is in the right company to do big things in the sport. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:18 Update on Jarrett01:31 Fight against George Mangos02:45 CTE as an excuse (lol)04:26 The wild man is back05:48 Beat down promotions 14th March, against Diego Pereira07:33 Rock climbing09:38 Mental prep routine11:02 Motivation to compete at a high level12:21 Post fight reflections13:58 Typical day in training18:15 Advice for aspiring fighters19:11 Life after fighting21:49 Go to street fight move22:24 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?24:14 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?26:01 Conclusion
MMA Fighter Quillan Salkilld joins the ranks of the UFC after a good win in the Dana White Contender series. His first UFC fight will be in home soil in Sydney Australia on UFC312 against Anshul Jubli. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction 00:20 What's changed?00:51 Dana White Contender Series fight 02:10 Pressure of the Contender fight and some fight details05:28 UFC 312 Debut against Anshul Jubli06:54 Heights7:12 Quillan's strength work08:32 Mental prep routine08:52 Motivation to compete at a high level09:44 Post fight reflections10:48 Laura Sanko bias11:15 Typical day in training12:01 Steady state running 13:11 Advice for aspiring fighters15:50 Satisfaction with beating a good U.S. wrestler/MMA fighter15:50 Life after fighting16:48 Go to street fight move17:16 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?19:09 Body shots in gauge young fight19:52 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?21:45 Conclusion
After an extensive stand-up career, Nikora Lee-Kingi is taking his 3rd fight on his way to the top in MMA. Next fight is in Canggu Fight Series 33 in Bali Indonesia. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:13 Training and upcoming fight in Bali01:15 Opponent Jelord Alvarez02:05 Grappling progress 02:27 Navajo UFC Fight02:46 Bali03:54 Mental prep routine05:04 Motivation to compete at a high level05:33 Post fight reflections06:04 Typical day in training07:26 Advice for aspiring fighters08:30 Life after fighting09:38 Go to street fight move10:12 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?11:56 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?113:06 Urijah Faber story13:34 Conclusion
After his fight in the Dana White Contender Series, CKB's Aaron Tau has taken a fight in Canggu Fight Series 33 in Bali Indonesia against Ariel Oliveros. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:11 CKB status and upcoming fights00:34 Upcoming fight in Bali02:17 Oliveros as an opponent03:18 Bali04:40 Previous Contender fight06:21 Dan Hooker appearance09:08 Mental prep routine09:45 Maori energy before the fight10:25 Motivation to compete at a high level10:51 Post fight reflections11:35 Typical day in training13:29 Advice for aspiring fighters14:05 Go to street fight move14:28 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?14:50 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?16:00 Conclusion
CKB's Navajo Stirling before his UFC debut against Tuco Tokkos. Navajo comes fresh off a nice KO in the contender series and is looking to make a name in the UFC. Details of the interview below:00:00 Introduction
New Zealand MMA Fighter Fergus Jenkins fights out of Canterbury Fight Centre under Coach Hostile Karl Webber. With a decorated Amateur career including a world title, Fergus has taken to the pro ranks with a first round finish and intends to continue his run for his next pro fight in Shuriken Fight Series 19. Full interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:15 Turning pro00:47 First pro fight on shuriken fighters league against Luke Stokman 04:06 Upcoming fight on Shuriken fight series 19 fighting against Nick04:31 Fights in the next year 05:43 Long break between fights: burnout and lack of opponents 07:10 Causes of burnout 10:02 Mental prep routine11:30 Motivation to compete at a high level 13:41 Post fight reflections14:52 Typical day in training 18:24 Injury management and prevention19:18 Plans outside of fighting20:11 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?22:35 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?23:47 Conclusion
Kasib Murdoch had an extensive amateur wrestling, boxing and MMA career before turning to professional MMA. With this depth of experience, big things are expected from Kasib who is training in Australia at the Freestyle MMA gym with a dream of making it to the UFC like his stablemate Alex Volkanovski. Full interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:13 Freestyle gym and how Kasib came to be there01:59 Start of training in New Zealand, background in boxing03:59 Boxing experience and MMA06:20 MMA Career06:48 Fighting in Bali07:22 Association with Fergus Jenkins, Karl Webber etc09:09 Aspirations short and long term10:29 Mental prep routine11:12 Motivation to compete at a high level 11:47 Post fight reflections12:56 Typical day in fight camp14:37 Injury prevention and recovery15:53 Plans outside of fighting16:24 Go to street fight moves16:45 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?19:32 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?21:09 Conclusion
Colby Thicknesse trains alongside Alex Volkanovski at Freestyle MMA gym in Windang NSW Australia under Joe Lopez. He has a title fight against Marven Malunes coming upon Hex Fight Series 33. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:18 Freestyle in Windang00:43 Fighting in Bali01:44 Level of Bali Fighters04:16 Marvin Malunes fight07:02 Mental preparation08:22 Motivation to compete11:07 Post fight reflection12:44 Training regimen16:03 Plans after fighting17:10 CTE and Brain damage in MMA19:30 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla20:39 Conclusion
Romel Luistro and his Luistro Combat Academy is on fire! With two fighters recently inducted into the UFC, Cody Haddon and Quillan Salkilld, its proof that this small academy has what it takes to create world calibre fighters. Full interview with Romel the head coach below:00:00 Introduction00:24 Two fighters in the UFC - Cody Haddon and Quillan Salkilld00:50 Perth and Perth talent02:11 The Luistro Team03:50 Romel's background06:43 Different BJJ games and coaching for combat/MMA10:48 Traveling and the experience of Contender and UFC in the USA12:09 Success of the fighters reflecting the quality of Luistro Combat Academy16:45 Drilling and performance in the fight18:35 Cody's first UFC fight and performance against Dan Argueta22:04 Quillan's upcoming UFC debut against Anshul Jubli in February in Australia23:46 Conclusion
Sean Gauci is fresh of a Dana White Contender Series win over Australia's Anthony Drillich. It was a great technical fight and hard earned win but it wasnt enough to get the nod by Dana White. Staying positive Sean is ready to prove that he is UFC ready. Interview details below: 00:00 Introduction00:14 Fights few and far between01:47 The Contender fight October against Drillich05:12 On not making UFC06:49 The Contender as a promotion08:07 Travelling to fight09:02 Gyms 09:45 Sam Greco as a coach11:42 Mental prep routine14:08 Motivation to compete at a high level 15:36 Post fight reflections17:16 Typical day in fight camp19:15 Injury prevention and recovery20:24 Plans outside of fighting21:09 Go to street fight moves21:26 CTE in combat sports, is it worth it?24:36 Fight a bear, lion or gorilla?25:41 Aspirations short and long term26:35 Conclusion
UFC Fighter Quang Le had a tough time coming from Vietnam to his new home in the USA, however it helped mold him into the fighter that he is today. Coming to Macau for his second fight in the UFC, Quang takes on Chinese fighter Xiao Long. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:27 fighting on the UFC Fight night in Macau01:33 Moving from Vietnam to the USA02:21 Starting in an English speaking school03:33 Starting training04:15 Getting into the UFC05:24 His family's thoughts on his career choice 05:57 Fiery Vietnamese character 06:46 Next UFC opponent Xiao Long08:55 First fight in UFC against Gutierrez 10:20 Previous log scheduled opponent Aaron Tau11:34 Last trip to Vietnam12:57 Training schedule 14:14 Fight prediction 14:40 Future goals15:13 Conclusion
Professional World Champion Muay Thai Fighter Jayden Eynaud hails from Mark Pease's Strikeforce gym on the Goldcoast Australia. His super goal focussed personality has helped him achieve his sporting goals thus far and he now looks to build a successful life after fighting. Full interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:18 Strikeforce gym and Mark Pease00:40 Muay Thai record and belts01:39 Principles of hard work and consistency 02:18 Daily schedule03:28 Security and Muay Thai04:34 Wrestling and security 05:27 Start in training in MMA and then to Muay Thai07:13 Muay Thai vs MMA comparisons09:04 Recent fight in Russia10:19 Corner man instructions11:40 Travelling and fighting13:09 Beautiful Russian girls13:50 TV Superstar on “Married at first sight”14:55 Leveraging popularity from the show15:45 Interest in kickboxing based MMA fighters16:59 Online teaching platform17:51 Strikeforce and Mark Pease's teaching 20:13 Banter in the gyms20:46 Financial investments 23:54 Future goals of riches and family24:30 Tips for aspiring pro fighters 25:44 Partying26:39 Conclusion
Khan Deatta is a professional Muay Thai fighter turned MMA Fighter. His fight style is exciting and aggressive, and his immediate goal is the Eternal MMA belt, before seeking a spot in a big organisation. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:44 Plans for a title shot01:37 Muay Thai weapons02:09 Evolution in fights02:59 Switching to the small gloves03:35 Training grappling04:59 Perth Eternal 87 ko win06:34 Crowd support in Perth07:05 Perth MMA fighters08:51 Scrappy MMA gym10:02 Training with Jack Della10:58 Training internationally13:45 Do Aussie fighters need to train more wrestling internationally15:58 Fighting internationally16:42 Mini T fighting MMA in Lumpinee17:54 Training19:15 Ice baths, saunas etc21:04 Supplements, food and rest22:34 Advice for up and coming fighters24:06 Conclusion
Frank Jankowski is an MMA fighter from Perth Australia. Training out of the Wolf's Den gym, he hopes to follow in the footsteps of UFC fighters like Stephen Erceg and is the current Eternal MMA flyweight champ. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:07 Eternal 87 Fight00:25 Crowd support00:55 Fights outside Perth01:40 Fight with Colton Kielbasa02:28 Background03:17 Wolves Den Gym03:38 Tricks for identical twins03:56 Perth power04:40 Thoughts of fighting as a youngster05:08 Working/Financial goals for MMA05:54 Baby face assassins06:10 Training with Stephen Erceg06:57 Stephen's loss to Kai Kara France07:36 Some Aboriginal heritage08:46 Training 09:58 Diet and supplementation10:47 Future plans11:29 Advice for wannabe professional fighters12:16 Conclusion
MMA Fighter Lawrence "The Lunatic" Lui fights out of CKB gym in Auckland New Zealand. Currently he is the Shuriken Pro Bantamweight champion and he looks to work towards an international career with a big organisation. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:12 CKB gym and recent contender fights01:57 Lawrence's record and fights03:54 Origins in Hong Kong06:08 CKB gym training and fighters07:41 Start in martial arts10:00 Gym standouts12:39 Training and working14:03 Parents support15:21 Short term and long-term goals 16:25 Power of the mullet17:40 Advice for wannabe pro fighters18:06 Conclusion
Former Australian Muay Thai World champion and now MMA Fighter has been fighting on the international scene for some time. Soon he will fight in Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium in an MMA fight against Banma Duoji. Hear some of Danial's story in the interview, details below:00:00 Introduction00:10 Lookup Danial Mini T Williams on youtube - you won't be disappointed!00:39 Not being recognised 01:07 Aaron Leigh fight02:12 Muay Thai fighter to MMA and upcoming MMA fight against Banma Duoji03:00 Fighting in Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium03:44 Duoji as opponent, coming from difficult conditions in China06:58 Half Thai background, fighting in Lumpinee, background to fighting08:21 Martial arts importance in Danial's life08:58 Making a living as a pro fighter10:54 Travelling as a fighter12:59 Experience of being overseas14:59 Ground fighting and Luistro Combat academy18:25 Fighting Rodtang fight in One FC and other fights20:39 Fighting style22:50 Substances and drinking24:06 Dieting and supplements25:21 Plans going forward27:12 Perth27:58 Advice for wanna be pro fighters29:30 Conclusion
Antz Nansen of SMAC gym in New Zealand has done it all in combat sports, from Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA to streetfighting. Having seen the benefits of training and competing, he has gone full circle and now also helps to build the next generation of fighters in NZ. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction
Isi Fitikefu, is a professional MMA fighter currently contracted with One Fighting Championships and with a big fight coming against Japanese "Beast" Hiroyuki Tetsuka on One 168 in Denver USA. Having grown up in Auckland and moved to Australia he changed from Rugby League to MMA and has shown great promise in that arena. Looking forward to big things from Isi and hoping his name can be more recognized both internationally and at home.
Lolo Heimuli is from Balmoral Lee Gar Gym New Zealand which is linked by lineage to CKB gym. Lolo gives his take on UFC305 and Izzy's performance in the fight. Lolo has a great respect and care for Izzy, and here gives his take on the technicalities of the fight: what Izzy did well, and what he could improve. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:25 Lolos overall thoughts on UFC30501:25 Dan Hooker's performance02:30 Kai Kara France's performance02:56 Lolo's take on Israel Adesanya vs Dricus Du Plessis06:05 Izzy's fatigue07:58 Dricus throwing "long calculated shots"11:22 Potential counters for Izzy13:19 Izzy's striking and distancing15:22 Other good work by Izzy16:50 What could Izzy do in a rematch with Dricus?18:21 Rematch with Strickland? 19:10 Conclusion
Nate Law has just entered the pro MMA ranks, however having trained with CKB in New Zealand and the Fight Centre in Brisbane Australia, he comes from good stock and is a promising fighter. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:11 Training at CKB and The Fight Centre00:34 Fight career01:08 Background02:20 League & MMA relationship03:25 Team vs individual sports04:15 Mental Preparation05:45 Simulating fight nerves etc06:54 Nerves before sparring @ CKB08:49 Who stands out at CKB12:14 CKB Style15:11 Leg dexterity16:18 Blond hair like Dan Hooker17:14 First pro fight17:55 Move to Fight Centre in Brisbane20:20 View on Australia22:08 Plans for the year23:42 Future plans eg UFC24:50 UFC fighters you would like to fight26:00 Oz Fight Scene26:30 MMA vs kickboxing style27:44 Conclusion
Stephen Erceg will fight Kai Kara France on UFC305 in Perth Australia. Both are vying for a title shot in the near future and a good decisive win will help achieve this objective. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:15 Stephens old interview take on fighting Kai Kara France (From 2021)01:04 UFC305 show01:50 Fighting in his hometown02:22 Kai's experience03:00 two Oceania guys fighting03:50 How long considering kai as an opponent04:49 New training aspects05:36 Pantoja fight critique06:19 Special kung fu techniques07:09 Conclusion
Georgian Fighter Merab Dvalishvili will fight Suga Sean O'Malley for the Bantamweight Title at UFC306. Merab is a humble, work horse of a fighter who took the hard road to get to this opportunity and intends to become champion. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:17 Georgian language and country00:56 UFC306 fight against Sean O'Malley for the Bantamweight title01:54 Support from the crowd02:56 Testing O'Malley in the grapple04:02 Avenging Aljo's loss05:00 Georgian people & Australians06:43 Attractions in Georgia07:55 From growing up in a village to an international superstar10:40 Carrying the support of his country12:13 Bringing the UFC to Georgia13:07 Giga Chikadze vs Arnold Allen13:48 Training 16:00 Advice how to develop cardio and endurance18:58 Does he want to fight Umar Nurmagomedov?22:18 Conclusion
MMA fighter Blair Bretag has been blasting through opponents after joining the professional MMA ranks. He is an exciting athlete who appreciates the Martial Arts side of MMA. interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:11 Will Blair ever get to a second round?01:28 Training with Tom Nolan and Dom Mar fan. 02:08 Background in Martial Arts03:14 Amateur career04:14 Grappling experience and training08:13 What aspects of training is Blair's favourite09:27 Training overseas and other gyms10:57 Other parts of training such as S&C and recovery14:25 Benefits of Martial arts17:48 Future plans20:10 Potential opponents21:19 Perth Eternal card22:09 Tom Nolan's fighting style23:09 Conclusion
George Mangos is the current Hex Lightweight Champ after a win over Justin Van Heerden. Now looking to defend his title against Jarret Wilbraham on the next show, he is confident of a win. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:11 Padstow and the MMA scene00:42 Fighting the Freestyle MMA team01:29 Sparring with Freestyle MMA team02:11 Fighting Jarret Wilbraham04:21 Starting MMA06:14 Gyms/Lion's den07:45 MMA as a career09:12 Parents support10:38 Challenges fighting van Heerden11:09 Training breakdown12:29 Preference in training13:26 Additional training related activities14:52 Training with Josh Culibao and Jamie Mullarkey16:20 UFC30517:39 Future goals17:56 Conclusion
Dan Hooker is fighting on UFC305. Who is his opponent? We will have to wait and find out. Interview details below:00:00 Introduction00:14 Dan in the news00:44 Opponents? Dan fighting Charlie Olives or Gamrot?02:55 Fighting at UFC305 with the lads, Izzy and Kai04:37 CKB energy with UFC305 plus contender fights coming up05:52 Is Dan in his prime?07:29 Title run and the naysayers09:24 Makhachev rematch10:50 Undefeated fighters & Talent vs hard work12:10 Bareknuckle boxing14:03 Conclusion
Aaron Tau will fight in the contender series on 17th September in Las vegas against Quang Le, both are on an 8/0 record. Interview details below:
Max Leali started his martial arts training in Hong Kong and has since traied in the USA and Thailand. He has a passion for training, people and teaching, and is looking to add an Eternal MMA Australian title to his resume. Interview Details below:00:00 Introduction00:24 Training at Bangtao MMA in Thailand and Syndicate MMA in the USA01:15 Differences between the gyms (including Versus in Hong Kong)04:16 Ties with Hong Kong07:07 Versus and Coach Quinton in Hong Kong08:20 Eternal fight against Anthony Drillich for the title11:07 Start of training martial arts in Hong Kong13:07 Hong Kong/Macau gyms and gangster connections15:53 Hong Kong Muay Thai scene and gyms19:24 Legend FC in HK/Macau, Kai Kara France, Rob Whittaker and Dan Hooker22:55 Goals and connections27:10 Conclusion
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