Full Name:
Samuel Marles.

Age:
28.

Where were you born?
Born in Carlton, grew up in Geelong.

Where do you live?
Collingwood.

Which gym do you train out of?
Absolute Collingwood and Ringgym.

Who are your coaches?
Joseph Luciano, Simon Carson, and Andy Colgrave.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
Purple Belt.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
I grew up playing golf, football, athletics, and tennis.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
Since 2020, I’ve been all in.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
Smashing boxing/Thai pads with Joey — it’s my favourite session of the week.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
Timing, accuracy, and strength.

How would you describe your fighting style?
My striking is a creative application of the basics — hand-heavy Muay Thai from an MMA stance.
My grappling is based on heavy top pressure, a strong passing game, with a focus on submissions or controlling positions to land strikes.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA — no other sport matches it in terms of “meaning.” It’s as pure as it gets.

Who is your favourite athlete?
Rafael Nadal.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Joseph Luciano.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?

• Immediate: Win this fight against Nate.
• Long-term: Put myself in a position to make money and live comfortably doing what I love, fight for a major promotion, be part of high-profile fights, and coach athletes to the UFC.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
Expect fireworks from start to finish — a full display of MMA.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
I see myself being the better all-around fighter — mixing in all the different disciplines and eventually finding a hole to expose.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
Fear will either make you run from the moment or enhance you for it.

Where can fans and supporters find you on social media?
Instagram: @samuel_marlez

Watch Samuel Marles fight at Eternal MMA 95 on Saturday, May 3.