Know Your Fighter: Nikita Laptsevich

Nikita Laptsevich Eternal MMA Gold Coast

Full Name:

Nikita Laptsevich

Age:

21

Where were you born:

Minsk, Belarus

Where do you live:

Gold Coast, Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Fight Club Jiu Jitsu / Black Dragon Kai

Who are your coaches:

Gavin Hain, Daniel Lima, Geordie Lavers-Mcbain

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Purple belt in BJJ

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

A bit of everything, however I didn’t particularly feel a passion towards most sports. Riding BMX at the skatepark was something I did pretty much everyday as a teen and still do sometimes.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

I trained karate for 2 years starting at the age of 7, then proceeded to not parttake in any martial arts until I turned 15 when I started training mma as a profession since day one. Since my first day I wanted to compete in everything from bjj to wrestling to kickboxing, but the main goal was always mma.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

I can’t choose, I love to submit someone as much as I like to take them down and as much as I like to throw strikes at them. My training doesn’t always focus on what’s best for mma, I will often train bjj in a sport bjj style, playing on bottom and using techniques not recommended in mma. Same with muay thai, I will have a narrow stance and think like a thai fighter. I love the arts and want to explore them individual as well as mixing them for mma.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

My grappling, however I have technical striking which I haven’t shown yet in the cage, hopefully I get to be more confident with it soon.

How would you describe your fighting style:

I want to be as well-rounded as possible, I want to take someone down if I want to and I want to kick someone in the head if I want to. I want to be a fighter like Demetrious Johnson, GSP, Alex Volkanovski, Jon Jones etc. I don’t want to have a strong part of my game, I want to be able to mix the martial arts better than anyone.

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA, there no other sport in the world where anything can happen at anytime. How unpredictable it is is what makes it exciting.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Max Holloway, Chingiz Allazov, Giorgio Petrosyan, Demetrious Johnson.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Max Holloway, Chingiz Allazov, Giorgio Petrosyan, Demetrious Johnson.

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Improve my confidence with every fight and perform at my best. Eventually I will be a champion in the UFC and ONE fc.

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

I always aim for a finish, I never go into a fight with the mentality to go to decision.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

I want to beat him in the stand up and also be the first take him down and keep him down, he’s good at getting back up but he’s never faced a grappler like me. I also intend to strike more confidently than my last fight and won’t complain if I can get a ko.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Thank you for supporting me and thanks to my teammate and coaches for being patient with me and for all your efforts. I love ya’ll.

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

Instagram: @nikitalaptsevichsucks

Know Your Fighter: Dom Mar Fan

Full Name:

Dominic Mar Fan

Age:

23

Where were you born:

Brisbane

Where do you live:

Brisbane

Which gym do you train out of:

Team Compton

Who are your coaches:

Steve Compton

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Brown belt BJJ

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Played football (soccer)

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

Stepped into an mma gym for the first time at 17 years old and immediately became obsessed and training twice a day. By the age of 20 I was training 3 times per day.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

I like breaking down the tiny details of a technique or sequence. I’m a bit of a nerd for mma. Wether that’s watching tape and having coffee or hitting pads with coach Steve and extracting every crucial detail from him, I always thrive in the endless pursuit of perfection as a martial artist.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

I believe my grappling is world class, I’m confident I would hang with the top mma grapplers in the world. I also believe that my timing and shootboxing understanding is better than the mma grapplers that can outgrapple me in a traditional sense.

How would you describe your fighting style:

MMA grappler

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA. I don’t watch or play other sports

Who is your favourite athlete:

Favourite athlete outside of combat sports would be Kobe Bryant. I like his work ethic and mindset.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

khabib nurmagomedov

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Immediate goal – win my next fight and shock people with how much my skills have sharpened. Long term – Become UFC champion

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

They should expect violence. I’m not a lay and pray grappler, if I take you down, I’m gonna hurt you and leave you broken or unconscious

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Il finish him

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

I fight to prove everyone that believes in me right and to prove the haters wrong. Anyone that comes to my fights I appreciate you more than you know, I love this sport and i really in enjoy having the opportunity to share what I love with you all.

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

Instagram: @street_buddha_mma

Know Your Fighter: Tasar Malone

Full Name:

Tasar Malone

Age:

27

Where were you born:

At Pindara hospital, here on the beautiful Gold Coast

Where do you live:

I feel like the whole world is my home, and I’m happy living anywhere along the road less travelled.

Which gym do you train out of:

CMBT Training Centre

Who are your coaches:

Miles Muecke Jesse Yada Brentin Mumford James Sargison Glenn Sparv Sam Fiamatai Jason Powell Rhys Giles

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

I’ve got a purple belt in Brazilian jujitsu

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

I grew up mainly on acreage property at Binna Burra in the Gold Coast hinterland, which meant endless days of climbing trees, riding motorbikes, exploring the rainforests all around us, and hanging out with my four brothers and sisters and all our friends. Such a great start to life. Sport was always number one for me and I liked pretty much any sport going, I mainly did Soccer and Athletics growing up. I did a little bit of AFL in my mid-teens, and then started just doing a lot of running and training stuff on my own until finally I discovered mixed martial arts and I haven’t looked back since. I love it.

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

I guess I started doing a bit of fighting stuff around five years ago, and I was hooked pretty much straight away. About 4 1/2 years ago, I decided I wanted to take it seriously, and started doing amateur fights. I had my first pro debut fight in March this year.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

I really love training and hate missing any sessions. I guess I see every training session as an opportunity to improve what I’m doing, to push myself to my limits, and to find out what I am capable of. I think so many people go through life being scared of dong the hard stuff, or being challenged. But I honestly believe that it’s the hard stuff that helps you grow and develop and improve. I’m always looking to be better today than I was yesterday, and it’s only when we go through hard stuff that we can achieve that. My favourite sessions are the sparring sessions because I get to use all my tools or weapons.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

I guess my greatest strength, as an athlete has always been my determination, my belief in myself, and in the philosophy that if you just keep working hard, then the rewards will eventually come as long as you keep believing, they will come. I guess I am also fairly resilient, in that I’ll get knocked down, but I will always get up again, so that surprises some people. I also have an attitude where I really want to outwork everyone around me. Not like in a competitive way, but I just feel like I always want to be inspiring others to keep working hard, and the best way to do that is to be the one working the hardest. As far as actual physical attributes that make me successful in my fighting, I’d say it’s my balance and my cardio capacity.

How would you describe your fighting style:

I suppose I would describe my fighting style as being quite wild, action, packed, and unpredictable. I would never want to be a boring fighter who was just going through the motions. I feed of the crowds’ enthusiasm and excitement, and I want to give back to them by being an exciting fighter.

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA, all the way, because I just think it’s the most challenging sport and I love that it’s all up to you. You either win or you lose so it’s all about making yourself the best you can be, and then backing yourself to achieve what you are trying to achieve. I also love motor racing, particularly bikes… And I have to say Hockey because my sisters play and I watch them a lot.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Well, I guess if we’re talking all athletes, then my favourite one would have to be my sister, Rosie Malone. She’s in the Hockeyroos, and she’s been to the Olympics, World Cups and the Comm Games and of course I love her, so I guess that makes her my favourite athlete.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

But if we’re talking my favourite combat sport athlete, then it’s George Saint Pierre.

What are your immediate and long term goals:

This is probably a fairly predictable answer, but my short-term goal is just to win this fight. After each fight, I reassess and see what I can learn or do better. Then I set myself new goals. Obviously I wouldn’t be on this journey if I didn’t also have long-term goals to become an Australian champion and then a world champion. I know there are plenty of others with those same goals, and we can’t all get there. But I’m just staying strong in my belief that my determination and work ethic can help me be one of the lucky ones who do. On my general goals, I guess travelling the world is up there, along with having the financial freedom to help my parents, not have to worry about money ever again..

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

They should expect that if they come, they’re going to have a cracker of a night,. I love to entertain the crowd, as I said above… And I really feed off their energy and give it back to them 10 times. I try to be unpredictable and exciting, which is what they come to see. I guess also I would love it if I can inspire some of the people in the crowd to want to go out and test their own limits as well. I mean maybe they don’t necessarily want to get in a cage with someone, but just to get out in the world and unlock the potential their body has for achieving things physically.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Predicting how a fight will go is never easy, but we do the work and have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition in the lead up. I can’t give away any clues about what we’re targeting, but I can say I’m planning to take my opponent into deep, deep waters and leave him there.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

I always tell my friends and family and other supporters that we are a team. It’s not just me out there. It’s everyone who has helped to get me there. I love them all and appreciate what they’ve done because without them I wouldn’t be there. We are in this together. I feel and I see all the love that they have for me. I bring them with me into the ring and I’m trying to do them proud.

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

Instagram: @iamtasar

Know Your Fighter: Alan Philpott

Full Name:

Alan Philpott

Age:

31

Where were you born:

Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Where do you live:

Sydney Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Lions Den Academy & BBMA

Who are your coaches:

Luke Pezzutti & Johnny Barra Benivedes

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Wimmaao Northern Irish champion, Akuma Irish champion, Bamma British champion,

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Boxing, Rugby, Football, Tae Kwon Do,

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

16-18 years old 17 amateur fights 18 to now 36 pro fights

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Each week changes. One week I prefer to strike the next grapple. I enjoy training all the different arts and being able to put them together

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

Hard working Good fight iq Exciting to watch Will always show up and fight

How would you describe your fighting style:

All round counter fighter . Kill or be killed

What is your favourite sport and why:

Combat sports. I guess being involved in it , I know the ins and outs and have a full understanding .

Who is your favourite athlete:

Terrance Crawford

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Terrance Crawford

What are your immediate and long term goals:

To become the best in Australia and then take on the world and get as far as I can. I’m at the peak of my career which means I’m older . So with the time frame I have I want to push and get a workd title and make sone money before stepping away from fighting .

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

Exciting, skilled , high level mma

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

I see it going a few ways. Either he tries to pressure me and close the distance where I pick him off , counter wrestle him and get the finish tko or ko, or he tries to be a lot more potient letting me settle , picking him off , take him down and tko or sub him, either way I see me getting a finish in a one sided bout

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

The support means more than people know, it helps lift my spirits and give me drive . I want to entertain for you all and we win together , you are as much part of this as my coaches and team mates ,

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

Instagram: @alanphilpott92

Facebook: @Alan Philpott

Know Your Fighter: John-Martin Fraser

Full Name:

John-Martin fraser

Age:

31

Where were you born:

Wales

Where do you live:

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Which gym do you train out of:

Ignite & Vice Training Centre

Who are your coaches:

Ryan Doyle, Ryan Dunstan & Kyle Noke

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Bjj brown belt under Kyle Noke

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Rugby & kung fu

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

I started bjj 2016 and mma shortly after. It became my life almost instantly, I was hooked from the off

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Full mma sparring, the closest thing to a full fight you can get.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

I have variety in my striking and carry power and speed from both stances.

How would you describe your fighting style:

Aggressive and calculated

What is your favourite sport and why:

Mma. It’s the closest thing to real fighting you can get outside of fight night

Who is your favourite athlete:

Jon Jones & Justin Gaethje

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Jon Jones & Justin Gaethje

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Win every fight that’s put in front of me, learn as much as I can along the way and become a successful UFC fighter

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

An entertaining fight and To struggle to understand my post fight interview

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

I’m going out to beat brogan up for 5 rounds and finish him if the finish comes

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Massive thank you to everyone that supports me from my wife, friends, family and all my sponsors Gaia hire Barefoot plumbing Advanced tree surgery Jamie century 21 Heavy metal roofing Legacy bjj

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

Instagram: @Johnfraser92

Know Your Fighter: Laurence Whitesmith

Full Name:

Laurence Whitesmith

Age:

20

Where were you born:

England

Where do you live:

Willetton, Western Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Scrappy mma

Who are your coaches:

Ben vickers, Ryan gray, Jack becker,Josh della, Jack della, Pablo Torrealba

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Blue belt in jiu jitsu Black belt in kungfu

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Footy and cricket for a little bit. But since 12 only MMA

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

Started doing it as a hobby at 12, realised at 14 I can make a career of this

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Favourite aspect of training would be trying to get better every day and having a good scrap with the boys. Favourite session of the week is Wednesday wrestling because it’s horrible.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

Athleticism, ability to pick things up fast,mindset

How would you describe your fighting style:

Fundamentally sound with a bit of flair

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA because what else is there to like

Who is your favourite athlete:

Probably Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Because of their unbelievable mental strength and work ethic

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Jack della. He’s got the coolest fighting style and seeing all the 1%’s that he does inspires me to do the same

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Immediate goals are to win as many fights as possible pick up an eternal belt. Long term goal is to be remembered in the ufc as one of the best

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

High level skilful violence

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

I see the first round being pretty hectic. But I’ll dominate and show how good I know I am

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Love all you guys

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

Instagram: @laurencemanchild

Know Your Fighter: Dan Jones

Full Name:

Daniel Jones

Age:

33

Where were you born:

Perth, Western Australia

Where do you live:

Perth, Western Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Luistro combat academy

Who are your coaches:

Romel luistro

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

None

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Athletics, football, bmx, skateboarding

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

20

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Sparring, simulation

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

Composed. Big hand’s, big kick’s, big wrestling

How would you describe your fighting style:

Pressure

What is your favourite sport and why:

Mma, chosen sport

Who is your favourite athlete:

No one particular, depends on their beliefs and values despite success in their chosen field. Who their sponsors, funding/ donors are. If they are authentic or if they self censor to keep themselves monetised on platforms. Add to that do they critical think and did they fall for the covid psyop to stay relevant.

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Mike tyson or Jon Jones on ability alone and charisma in their dialogue.

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Immediate = current fight Long term = continue competition succeeding, ufc onwards.

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

G.B.H …. Grievous bodily harm

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Consume said individual

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Thank you to my family and LCA for the training and support for many years.

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

Instagram: @Promaz2

Twitter: @Promaz02

Know Your Fighter: Anthony Drilich

Full Name:

Anthony Drilich

Age:

29

Where were you born:

Logan,Queensland

Where do you live:

Perth, Western Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Scrappy mma

Who are your coaches:

Ben Vickers, Brandon Drilich

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Ranked #10 pro men’s bantamweight Australia and new Zealand

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Bjj, boxing, judo, mma, rugby, archery, mauy thai

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

Took mma seriously as a hobby around 13 and as a profession in my mid 20s

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Favourite aspect would be technique and sparring. Learn new skills and techniques and apply them in sparring and see what works and how to apply that move in a practical setting.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

My willing to fight to the end and my pure dedication to martial arts

How would you describe your fighting style:

Clinical, precise and explosive

What is your favourite sport and why:

Mma for the fact that there’s always room to improve and get better and learn.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Manny Pacquiao

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Fedor emelianenko

What are your immediate and long term goals:

To win and take over my division

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

That somone is going to get put to sleep

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Victory by ko/tko

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

My love and respect to the people who help and support me on my path to victory

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

Facebook: Anthony Drilich

Instagram: @drilichmma

Know Your Fighter: Julian Giustiniano

Full Name:

Julian Giustiniano

Age:

26

Where were you born:

Perth Australia

Where do you live:

Perth Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Bravos bjj and the LLC

Who are your coaches:

Oliver Barley and Rodrigo Giraldes

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Blue belt BJJ Black belt TKD

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Rugby, wrestling, tae kwon doe, mma

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

15 when I started my wrestling career. Full mma training at 21

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Sparring, grappling and running

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

Grappling and strength.

How would you describe your fighting style:

High pressure wrestleboxing

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA. Nothing compares to it.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Ray Lewis

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Frankie Edgar

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Eternal featherweight champion and contender series.

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

High pace and people being thrown

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Finish in the 3rd

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Whether you want me to win or not thanks for taking the time to watch 😁

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

Instagram: @julian_g_157

Know Your Fighter: Quillan Salkilld

Full Name:

Quillan Salkilld

Age:

23

Where were you born:

Perth

Where do you live:

Perth

Which gym do you train out of:

Luistro combat academy

Who are your coaches:

Romel luistro (head coach) Tom Barns (wrestling) Toby smith (Muay Thai)

What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist:

Brown belt jiu Jitsu

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Australian rules football Skateboarding

When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:

Started training in March 2018 and I knew I wanted to make it my career after my first amateur win in November 2018.

Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:

Tuesday wrestling practice is my favourite session of the week.

What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:

The ability to learn and apply new skills consistently.

How would you describe your fighting style:

Gangsta

What is your favourite sport and why:

Other than mma I’d say AFL The game is so dynamic it is very entertaining to watch and fun to play.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Magnus Carlson

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Mike Tyson

What are your immediate and long term goals:

To get to the ufc and become their lightweight champion

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

An exciting fight that won’t go the distance

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

I’ll get the finish inside 2 rounds.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Thank you to all my Family and friends for all the support over last 5 years. I’ve been blessed to have you all along for the journey so far. Let’s keep it going.

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

Instagram – @quillansalkilld