Know Your Fighter: Paiariki Cook

Full Name:
Paiariki Cook

Age:
25

Where were you born:
Christchurch, NZ

Where do you live:
Gold Coast

Which gym do you train out of:
Sunshine State Wrestling

Who are your coaches:
James Sargison, Tapu Opetaia, Lucas Zions

What belts or rankings do you currently possess as a martial artist:
Purple Belt, Nationals Champ

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
Everything – My mum, when she was around, used to set up mini triathlons on the weekend for fun. She got the whole neighbourhood and community involved.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:
When I was able to keep up with pros in the training room.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:
Me and Lucas going to war on the pads for an hour – building heart.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:
You’ll never break me.

How would you describe your fighting style:
Make you miss, make you pay – pressure on, break you down, make you quit.

What is your favourite sport and why:
If I wasn’t fighting, I’d be pig hunting in the bush.

Who is your favourite athlete:
Zachary Alderson

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:
Jai Opetaia

What are your immediate and long term goals:
Win this fight. Turn pro. Hunt whoever is next.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect:
Heart.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:
Make him dig deep and see what he’s about.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:
Thanks to my team at Opetaia Boxing Gym, Sunshine State, and to Lucas. I’ve moved up to the Gold Coast and wanted to create our own team — with a specialist in each field, no distractions and strictly just hard labour. I’m looking forward to showcasing what we’ve been doing together for the last year.

I’d like to say my thanks to my community at home. As a village, they’ve rallied behind me on this one — giving me an opportunity to take a couple of days off work each week and to help get some extra PTs in. Love to the village back home for that.

Where will any fans or supporters be able to find your socials:
Instagram: ridetheredhorse2.0

Watch Paiariki Cook fight at Eternal MMA 98 on Saturday, September 13

Know Your Fighter: Luke Melrose

Full Name:
Luke Melrose

Age:
28

Where were you born:
Ulladulla, NSW

Where do you live:
Gold Coast

Which gym do you train out of:
CMBT Training Centre

Who are your coaches:
Miles Muecke, Brentin Mumford, Jesse Yada, Reece McLaren

What belts or rankings do you currently possess as a martial artist:
Blue belt in BJJ

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
NRL, Karate, Muay Thai

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:
I took MMA seriously around 2021 after I finally healed a disc protrusion in my neck. This took about 6 months of physio and exercises every morning to overcome. I’ve wanted to pursue MMA professionally since before my first amateur fight.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:
My favourite aspect would just be the relationships you develop along the way, but I also love routine and the self-confidence of knowing I can protect myself. Favourite session would have to be sparring. Nothing is more novel to me than the mind games and tricks to land strikes or takedowns in unsuspecting, creative ways.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:
I don’t have much aggression or anger—I’m just hyper-competitive. This means I’m always thinking about how I can win, and not about how I can get back the last strike I took.

How would you describe your fighting style:
I’m an all-rounder. Definitely a bit of a brawler at times, and I use my cardio later in rounds to push the pace. I prefer to strike but am not afraid to shoot a takedown if I need to.

What is your favourite sport and why:
MMA – craziest sport in the world.

Who is your favourite athlete:
Alexander Volkanovski

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:
Alexander Volkanovski – I love his speeches. “Adversity is a privilege” resonated with me, among others.

What are your immediate and long-term goals:
To go on a win streak at pro and get some finishes. Put on a few kgs of muscle. Go to the UFC.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect:
Action, violence, & pressure.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:
Louie looks like he has a good chin on him from watching his previous fights. I see myself landing some big shots on the feet and Louie coming forward looking to clinch up and wrestle. He won’t get me down, and I will make him quit over 15 minutes. TKO stoppage.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:
I appreciate you all. This is just the beginning. Watch this space.

Where will any fans or supporters be able to find your socials:
Instagram: doubleshotmma

Watch Luke Melrose fight at Eternal MMA 98 on Saturday, September 13