Know Your Fighter: Baxter Pickering

Full Name:
Baxter Pickering

Age:
24

Where were you born:
Gold Coast

Where do you live:
Gold Coast

Which gym do you train out of:
Shindo New Breed MMA

Who are your coaches:
Coach Kerry Dunne

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

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
Basketball as a young teen and not much else.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:
I started MMA when I was 20. I went hot and cold for about two years until I decided to get my fitness sorted. Naturally, I wanted to train more—and I fell in love with becoming a mixed martial artist. Over the past two years, I’ve wanted to implement my skills into the cage.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:
My favourite aspect of training is simply turning up. The hardest part is walking through the gym doors—even when you don’t feel like it or don’t have time. But if you think the price of sacrifice is high, wait until you get the bill for regret.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:
I’ve naturally gravitated toward grappling and BJJ. I love the breadth of grappling and being able to express yourself through a wide range of techniques. It’s good for the soul.

How would you describe your fighting style:
My fighting style is definitely not plain Jane. I’ve incorporated a lot of unusual elements—on the ground and standing—that people don’t usually see. I’m not afraid to try interesting things, especially on the ground.

What is your favourite sport and why:
😏

Who is your favourite athlete:
Kobe Bryant — Mamba Mentality.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:
Chito Vera — inspiring story and easily the most stylish UFC fighter ever.

What are your immediate and long term goals:
I’ve never really thought about it until now, but I truly want to teach MMA one day and make my way as a coach… after making it into the UFC Hall of Fame, of course.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect:
Assume nothing, expect everything.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:
I’ll work my stand-up briefly. When I see the opportunity, I’ll take it to the ground. Wherever my opponent moves, he’ll be in danger.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:
The love and support fuels everything. It never goes unnoticed. 🙌🫶

Where will any fans or supporters be able to find you socials:
Instagram: @bax_pickering

Watch Baxter Pickering fight at Eternal MMA 96 on Saturday, June 21.

Know Your Fighter: Randall Rowan

Full Name:
Randall Rowan.

Age:
19.

Where were you born?
Brisbane.

Where do you live?
Ipswich.

Which gym do you train out of?
Crown Kickboxing.

Who are your coaches?
James Moller and Luke Thomas.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
Blue Belt in BJJ.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
MMA mainly, along with some random school sports.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
Started taking it seriously at 13, and saw it as a future profession from 18.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
Pad sessions — nothing better than being able to hit hard and clean.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
My striking ability, by far.

How would you describe your fighting style?
Entertaining and damaging.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA — nothing more exciting to do or watch.

Who is your favourite athlete?
LeBron James.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Alexander Volkanovski.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
Turn pro next year, then go after that belt.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
A dominant performance.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
A highlight-worthy knockout going my way.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
Can’t wait to put on a show for everyone!!!

Where can fans and supporters find you on social media?
Instagram: @randall_rowan1

Watch Randall Rowan fight at Eternal MMA 96 on Saturday, June 21.

Know Your Fighter: Mitchell Rapson

Full Name:
Mitchell Rapson

Age:
25

Where were you born:
Melbourne, Australia

Where do you live:
Gold Coast, Australia

Which gym do you train out of:
CMBT Training Centre

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

What belts or rankings do you currently possess as a martial artist:
White belt in Jiu Jitsu

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
I tried most sports like soccer, footy, and basketball but only enjoyed and stuck with MMA.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:
I started training when I was 15 but didn’t commit properly to it until I was 23.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:
My favourite aspect is learning new things every day and constantly improving in the areas I believe are the weakest.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:
That I don’t give up.

How would you describe your fighting style:
Entertaining.

What is your favourite sport and why:
MMA, because there are so many aspects to it.

Who is your favourite athlete:
Alexander Volkanovski

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:
Alexander Volkanovski

What are your immediate and long term goals:
My immediate goal is to get my hand raised on June 21st and continue to fight and gain more experience.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect:
An entertaining fight that they won’t want to miss.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:
I see it being very entertaining up until I find the finish.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:
Appreciate all the love and support from everyone — let’s do it!

Where will any fans or supporters be able to find you socials:
Instagram: @mitch_rapson

Watch Mitch Rapson fight at Eternal MMA 96 on Saturday, June 21.

Know Your Fighter: Jasmine Nikora

Full Name:
Jasmine Nikora.

Age:
32.

Where were you born?
New Zealand.

Where do you live?
Perth.

Which gym do you train out of?
Luistro Combat Academy.

Who are your coaches?
Romel Luistro.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
Blue Belt in Jiu Jitsu.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
Just the usual school sports.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
I started training as a hobby in 2018, began competing in 2020, and started fighting MMA in 2022.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
Sparring — it’s where I get to put all my training together.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
My mind and my heart.

How would you describe your fighting style?
Aggressive striker.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA — silly question.

Who is your favourite athlete?
N/A.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
N/A.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
A few more amateur fights, and then you’ll see me on the professional scene.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
An exciting fight.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
We’ll see — but it’s going to be exciting.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
You’ll see a new, evolved fighter — and I’ll do you all proud.

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

Watch Jasmine Nikora fight at Eternal MMA 96 on Saturday, June 21.

Know Your Fighter: Luca Bowe

Full Name:
Luca Bowe.

Age:
21.

Where were you born?
Agnes Water.

Where do you live?
Brisbane.

Which gym do you train out of?
Crown Kickboxing.

Who are your coaches?
Luke Thomas and James Moller.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
White Belt in BJJ.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
I focused on tennis throughout my childhood and teenage years.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
I began taking MMA seriously in December 2023.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
My favourite aspect of training is that there’s always more to learn — the evolution never stops.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
My power and range are two of my biggest assets.

How would you describe your fighting style?
Technical, violent, and always applying constant pressure.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA — because of the toughness it demands both physically and mentally.

Who is your favourite athlete?
Carmelo Anthony.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Petr Yan.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
Immediate: constant and rapid progression in all areas of my game.
Long-term: to evolve into a complete, high-level fighter.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
A fast-paced fight that ends in a finish.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
I see myself landing big shots early and finishing the fight.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
Thank you to everyone who supports me on fight night and throughout my camp — it means everything.

Where can fans and supporters find you on social media?
@luca_bowe on all platforms.

Watch Luca Bowe fight at Eternal MMA 96 on Saturday, June 21.

Know Your Fighter: Nicholas Liaris

Full Name:
Nicholas Liaris.

Age:
23.

Where were you born?
Australia.

Where do you live?
Punchbowl.

Which gym do you train out of?
Lions Den Academy.

Who are your coaches?
Luke Pezzutti.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
White Belt in BJJ.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
Rugby League.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
About a year and a half ago.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
(Not specified.)

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
(Not specified.)

How would you describe your fighting style?
MMA fighter.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA — I love violence.

Who is your favourite athlete?
(Not specified.)

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Me.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
Break teeth.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
Broken jaws and broken teeth.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
Stoppage.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
Appreciate the love and support.

Where can fans and supporters find you on social media?
Instagram: @nick_liaris
TikTok: @nicholasliaris

Watch Nicholas Liaris at Eternal MMA 95 on Saturday, May 3.

Know Your Fighter: Aidyn Gould

Full Name:
Aidyn Gould.

Age:
18.

Where were you born?
Brisbane, Australia.

Where do you live?
Brisbane, Australia.

Which gym do you train out of?
Team Compton.

Who are your coaches?
Steve Compton, Jayden Binnie, Dom Mar Fan.

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

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
Rugby league and rugby union.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
The first day I walked into the gym at 14, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
8oz sparring — that’s where I grow the most.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
My explosive ability, which I use for double legs, and my ability to dictate whether the fight stays standing or goes to the ground.

How would you describe your fighting style?
I’m like a backpack that can’t be taken off.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA, of course — it’s a solo sport. If you lose, that’s on you.

Who is your favourite athlete?
Ilia Topuria.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Jean Silva.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
I want to have a couple more fights, then turn pro by the end of the year.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
They should expect not to see the judges — it’s not going the distance.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
Round 2 submission.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
The result has already been decided — just have faith.

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

Watch Aidyn Gould at Eternal MMA 95 on Saturday, May 3.

Know Your Fighter: Joseph Bird

Full Name:
Joseph Bird.

Age:
24.

Where were you born?
Essex, England.

Where do you live?
Fremantle.

Which gym do you train out of?
Scrappy MMA.

Who are your coaches?
Ryan Gray, Ben Vickers, Will Zwaan.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
Blue Belt in BJJ.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
Tennis, then started MMA.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
The day I walked out of Scrappy after my first session — I knew I wanted to become a professional MMA fighter.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
Everything. I love the entire process.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
My mindset, cardio, strength, and ability to absorb information.

How would you describe your fighting style?
Mixed martial arts — I aim to be well-rounded in all areas.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA — nothing else compares.

Who is your favourite athlete?
Marab Dvalishvili.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Sharra Bullet.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
Become Eternal featherweight champion, defend it a few times, then smash a fool on Dana White’s Contender Series.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
That in five years, when I’m on the big stage, they’ll be able to say, “Yeah, I watched him back in the day when he was amateur.”

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
My hand getting raised.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
Enjoy the show.

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

Watch Joseph Bird at Eternal MMA 95 on Saturday, May 3.

Know Your Fighter: Perry Smith

Full Name:
Perry James Smith.

Age:
22.

Where were you born?
Sydney.

Where do you live?
Bondi, Sydney.

Which gym do you train out of?
Igor MMA.

Who are your coaches?
Igor Breakenback.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
Technically still a white belt, but I compete at blue belt level and above.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
I did karate for a little while when I was younger and started training kickboxing at 14.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
I took MMA seriously before I even started training it. I moved out of home — and out of the country — at 16 to pursue it. Up until then, I had only trained kickboxing.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
Sparring — so I can punch Shai Krimotat in the head.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
Even when things aren’t going well, I stay composed and find a way out. I don’t get overwhelmed, and I don’t get too excited when things are going my way either.

How would you describe your fighting style?
Bull in a china shop.

What is your favourite sport and why?
K-1 kickboxing — I love the exchanges and the combinations.

Who is your favourite athlete?
I wouldn’t say I have one favourite athlete.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
There are a lot of guys I look up to and try to learn from — Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski are two of the main ones.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
Immediate: win this fight and move on to the pro ranks.
Long-term: reach my full potential in this sport and become the best fighter I can be — wherever that takes me.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
A cracker of a fight.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
A cracker of a fight.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
I’m in a place now where I’m truly grateful for the people around me. The support from my gym and everyone who helps me means so much — I feel it every step of the way.

Where can fans and supporters find you on social media?
Instagram: @perry.jamesprivate

Watch Perry Smith at Eternal MMA 95 on Saturday, May 3.

Know Your Fighter: Chivorn Nim

Full Name:
Chivorn Nim.

Age:
24.

Where were you born?
Cambodia.

Where do you live?
Logan.

Which gym do you train out of?
The Fight Centre.

Who are your coaches?
Ben Johnston, Nakia Melody, and Uncle Des.

What belts or rankings do you currently hold as a martial artist?
I’m a Blue Belt in BJJ and currently ranked #102 in the bantamweight division in Australia and New Zealand.

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up?
I didn’t really have one specific hobby, but I was into mountain biking, riding scooters, and playing rugby at school occasionally.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession?
From the moment I started training, it was never just a side hobby — it was something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. The day I stepped into TFC, my coach Ben saw potential in me. That’s when I really started to believe I could make a career out of this.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why?
Definitely Wednesday evening sparring and Saturday morning sparring.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter?
My athleticism, strength, speed, and fight IQ.

How would you describe your fighting style?
Like a game of chess — precise and calculated.

What is your favourite sport and why?
MMA and boxing. I see them as more than just violent sports — there’s an art to it, a beauty in the craft.

Who is your favourite athlete?
Conor McGregor and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete?
Floyd Mayweather, Canelo Alvarez, Sean O’Malley, Petr Yan, and Ilia Topuria.

What are your immediate and long-term goals?
To make it to the UFC before my 30s, make a living out of it, become a UFC champion, retire with my belts, open my own gym, have a farm, and live happily ever after.

When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect?
An entertaining fighter with real skill — and a great talker on the mic.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out?
I see myself finishing this fight by KO, TKO, or even submission.

A final message to any friends, family, and supporters:
Big thanks to all my coaches, friends, family, and everyone coming out to watch. Stay tuned — it’s going to be a banger of a night for TFC!

Where can fans and supporters find you on social media?
Instagram: @chivorn_01
Facebook: Chivorn Nim

Watch Chivorn Nim at Eternal MMA 95 on Saturday, May 3.