What belts or rankings do you currently possess as a martial artist:
Blue belt and 5-1 mma record
What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
Rugby Union
When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:
2023 I started treating mma less of a hobby and became more of an obsession or career.
Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:
Wrestling, hurts the most and always leave the session completely wrecked
What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:
My wrestling has become one of my greatest weapons since my last loss.
How would you describe your fighting style:
High pressure, stand and bang, no backwards steps
What is your favourite sport and why:
BJJ is my favourite sport of the individual martial arts as I really enjoy the complexity of the game and how there is no such thing as a punchers chance when it comes to bjj it’s purely down to who has the most skill and heart.
Who is your favourite athlete:
Hopefully not too soon to say this but I admire Illia Topuria style and I try replicate it myself in the gym and will try in the cage aswell.
Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:
Currently Khamzat Chimaev for his style and for getting to where he got so quick.
What are your immediate and long term goals:
Immediate goals is go pro asap, hoping this to be one of if not the last amateur fights and start getting paid.
When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect:
FOTN and non stop action, I don’t take breaks in the ring.
How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:
Other guy quitting when he realises I ain’t slowing down
A final message to any friends, family and supporters:
😘😘
Where will any fans or supporters be able to find you socials:
Instagram: @dominic.aston.1 , or in the Eternal cage
Watch Dom Aston fight live and exclusive on Saturday March 16th
Myles Simpson for MMA, Declan Moody for BJJ, Adam Collet & Tayla Ford for wrestling
What belts or rankings do you currently possess as a martial artist:
Bjj Brown Belt
What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
Grew up playing footy and tennis
When did you begin to take MMA seriously as a hobby and then as a potential profession:
I started training at Ringworks in 2012 doing Muay Thai casually to get fit with no intentions of fighting. After about 2 years I ended up training 5 days a week and started doing mma and had my first amateur mma fight in 2016. I had a terrible amateur career going 0/5 and in 2019 I thought fuck it. If I’m going to do this I’ll have a crack professionally and went on to win my professional debut. Coming into 2024 I’m currently 2/2 as a professional and looking to get the ball rolling for a big year.
Favourite aspect of training or favourite session of the week, and why:
My favourite session of the week is wrestling, easily the hardest and most demanding aspect of mma.
I enjoy it for the simple reason of hard work, there’s no places to rest in wrestling like there is in jits. It’s just a constant chain between attacking and defending.
What are your greatest strengths as an athlete or a fighter:
I believe my greatest strengths as a fighter are my wrestling, striking power and decision making. I might not be the tallest, fastest or even strongest but I believe my ability to choose when to mix my striking in with my wrestling makes me a dangerous fight for anyone.
How would you describe your fighting style:
I’d describe my style as a brawler/ wrestler.
What is your favourite sport and why:
It would have to be MMA because of how exiting it is to watch and the fact there’s so many variables with it. Martial arts is the only sport where you could be whooping ass for 14 minutes and your opponent lands one good punch and you loose. You don’t really get that vulnerability in other sports
Who is your favourite athlete:
Favourite active athlete would hands down be Alexander Volkanovski.
Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:
Alexander Volkanovski / Frankie Edgar
What are your immediate and long term goals:
Immediate goals is simple to have an active year.
When fans see your name on a fight poster, what should they expect:
They should expect and exiting fight with a good mix of striking and grappling.
How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:
See me getting the finish within the 3 rounds. Either submission or KO
A final message to any friends, family and supporters:
Thanks everyone for the support, always appreciate it. Can’t wait to go out there and do my thing!
Where will any fans or supporters be able to find you socials:
Eternal MMA pays tribute to its ‘Icons’ who have contributed to the growth and success of not only Eternal MMA, but Australian combat sports in its entirety. All the way from the grass roots of local martial arts education to the pinnacle of international competition, we salute those who have been vital in guiding Australian mixed martial arts in its endeavours at every level.
Tim is a former Eternal MMA flyweight champion who competed eight times under the Eternal MMA banner, winning five of his bouts in total including one successful defence of his flyweight championship.
Like many other children growing up in the northeast of Australia, Tim first found his way into the world of sport via rugby league. After finding himself dealing with some adversity at the age of 19, he decided to enter a mixed martial arts gym in hopes of setting himself on a better path.
Soon after commencing training six nights a week, Tim made the choice to fight professionally after getting some wins under his belt. Realising that he had the potential to fight at a high level, he dedicated himself to the sport and went on to become a true icon of the regional MMA scene in Australia.
Tim was one of the first athletes to compete under the banner of Eternal MMA, having fought on Eternal 1 at Southport Sharks on the Gold Coast. Tim also holds the distinction of being one of only four athletes to compete in Eternal MMA’s first three events.
Tim: The very first Eternal (event) was the main event that I fought on, so that would be up there with the fond memories.
Toughest Eternal MMA opponent:
Tim: It would have to be (Shaun) Etchell in the first fight that we had. Even (Jacob) Mahony in the first (Eternal 1), that was pretty tough.
Standout performance fighting for Eternal MMA
Tim: When I fought Adam Corbett. There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, but he tried to fight me in the carpark before the fight. I was walking in by myself into the venue as him and his team were walking out. There was a bit of trash talk before the fight and he just offered me out in the car park – properly had a crack at it. I just had a bit of laugh and said, “see you in a few hours, mate!”.
Current Eternal MMA fighter you enjoy watching:
Tim: Naveed Hassanzada – he fought recently. He’s a flyweight that I got to do a little training with recently. I’ve always liked his fighting style. Hoani Selwyn – he just went pro. There’s always good up-and-comers like Josh Kuhne. There’s Dimps (Gillies) who has been there forever. There are so many dudes coming up but it’s the flyweights mainly for me.
Greatest career achievement:
Tim: Winning the (Flyweight) title. Not even winning the title – defending the title. A lot of people had won it and didn’t defend it.
Current involvement with mixed martial arts:
Tim: I was helping Shannon Ross for a recent fight that he had. After that, I just kept my own training rolling on from there. I’ve been training a couple nights a week for the last couple of months now. I’m trying to get more regular (with training) and maybe fight later in the year. I feel like my body and my mind is still pretty sharp. Once things even out at home, I’m definitely keen to get back into it. So, towards the end of this year, I think we can make that happen.
Life outside of mixed martial arts:
I’ve got my wife and three kids which obviously keeps me pretty busy. During the week I have a building company of my own. So, I’m on the tools as a chippy throughout the day, finish that and then I’m a family man at home.
What do you hope your legacy will be as a competitive martial artist:
Tim: Obviously my record isn’t the greatest, but I’ve never turned down a fight or cherry-picked an opponent. Anyone that was ever offered to me, I always said yes, whether it was a smart idea or not. I think a lot of fans know that with the opponents that I’ve fought.
Eternal MMA pays tribute to its ‘Icons’ who have contributed to the growth and success of not only Eternal MMA, but Australian combat sports in its entirety. All the way from the grass roots of local martial arts education to the pinnacle of international competition, we salute those who have been vital in guiding Australian mixed martial arts in its endeavours at every level.
This week, Eternal MMA is proud to profile Callan ‘The Rockstar’ Potter. Callan is a former Eternal MMA lightweight champion who competed three times under the Eternal MMA banner, winning all three of his bouts.
Callan Potter takes the back against Brentin Mumford for win via rear naked choke.
Eternal MMA achievements/accolades.
• Eternal MMA Lightweight Championship (one time)
▪ One successful title defence.
A happy Callan Potter with the strap with a win over Brentin Mumford.
Fond memory fighting for Eternal MMA:
Callan: I’ve earned plenty of great memories at Eternal. As far as sticking to the fights, going through that real ‘transition moment’ that some people have had to go through in their fights; being exhausted, being bloody, being beaten up and standing up off the stool coming into the third-round against B.J. Bland is a moment that will stick with me forever. He’s a super tough guy, and I knew that my gas tank was almost on empty and his wasn’t far above (empty) either. Just knowing that it was going to be one of those rounds was a pretty special moment.
Toughest Eternal MMA opponent:
Callan: All three of those guys were ridiculously tough. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career, but something I pride myself on is I always try to find the toughest fights. As much as they were all tough, I really have to put Brentin (Mumford) up in that slot. I don’t think I’m alone in saying this, but during that period, Brentin was the bogeyman of the lightweight division. He was big, he was knocking people out with crazy techniques. I was always chasing tough fights, but I just knew that when that was going to get booked, that was going to be a hard fight.
Current Eternal MMA fighter you enjoy watching:
Callan: I’m huge into the local scene at the moment. I love the UFC, but more so than the UFC, I love the local scene. Obviously, Eternal is the premiere promotion on the local scene at the moment. Very easy answer – I’m loving Kaleb Rideout, the ‘Krazy Horse’. That kid has won me right over. I love the way he gets about it. He took on Kevin Jousset when no one was lining up to take that fight. He didn’t take that fight (for the sake of) being tough and taking the fight, he came out with the obvious intention to win and fought his backside off. I’m a massive fan of the Krazy Horse.
Greatest career achievement:
Callan: Obviously getting my hand raised in the UFC cage, that’s really hard to beat. (There are) two things that I really hang my hat on besides obviously taking hard fights whenever I could; one is never missing weight. Never once have I missed weight on the scales which I’m really proud of. Two, my whole Jiu-Jitsu career, every belt I’ve ever received is from the same coach from start to finish. In a sport where people are shifting and moving, trying to find a better answer here and there, I’m very proud that I’ve taken every single belt that I’ve got from Jamie Murray. I like to think that that’s a highlight of the personality and traits that I have.
Current involvement with mixed martial arts:
Callan: I deal with a lot of the evening classes (at Resilience Training Centre). We have quite stable of not only a few pro athletes, but a lot of amateur athletes coming through. We have a great coach in Dan Kelly; obviously Dan’s commitments are mixed with Australian Judo. (So), there’s myself, Sam Hayward, who’s a sensational coach, he’s very educated in the sport of MMA. Ben Sosoli is there. Between the four of us, we work quite well. We have guys that have been there a little bit longer, but we all work in unison. There are things that I learn off Ben and Dan and visa-versa. We all share our knowledge together really well.
Life outside of mixed martial arts:
I’m working with a company called ‘Wormald’ – that’s all fire protection. So, I’m working within the portables department there. That’s a full-time position. Three evenings a week – Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I go to the gym. Tuesday, Thursday I’m back home with the family. Weekends are now very open. We’ve got the caravan now and I like to spend as much time (as possible) jumping in the caravan and going out. My poor now-wife has had to spend many years being dictated by a fighter career. Now that it’s been pulled up-stumps, she’s very happy to take the lead role in what our plans are for most weekends, which I’m happy to follow.
What do you hope your legacy will be as a competitive martial artist:
Callan: Legacy is sometimes a big thing; I don’t want to say that it doesn’t mean much to me. The people that are close to me they are the ones that I worry about. The ones that have worked close to me and seen the inside battles, they’re the people whose opinions matter to me. People on the
outside are going to form their own opinions, but I hope that my body of work speaks for itself. Not (necessarily) the wins that I’ve got, the accolades I’ve achieved or the or the titles that I’ve won, but the way I’ve carried myself. Like I’ve said, I’ve never missed weight, never turned down a hard fight and sadly been put in many dubious positions in a lot of my fights that I’ve still managed to come back and win. So, I’d like to think that while I might not have been blessed with a lot of the greatest skill, I’ve shown a bit of a ‘blue-collar’ grit in my career and maybe that’s how I’ll be remembered.
August 20th will see Eternal MMA return to the west coast of Australia for the third time in 2022, with the HBF Stadium in Perth playing host to a strong card at Eternal 68.
Atop of the bill stands Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert and resident fan favourite Rod Costa, as he looks get back in the win column when he faces an up-and-coming prospect and former Eternal MMA main event winner – Michael Mannu.
Coming off a tough featherweight title loss against Jack Jenkins at Eternal 64, Costa now makes the decision to move down to bantamweight as her enters the next phase of his fighting career.
A naturally smaller featherweight by his own admission, Costa believes the time is now to make a statement in a lighter weight class and diversify his options as a professional in the future.
Costa was all heart, in his recent Featherweight title bout.
Speaking with Eternal MMA, Costa shared his thoughts on making the move down weight-class ahead of his fight on Saturday.
“Number one, I’m not looking to just win a couple fights on Eternal, I’m not looking to be a local hero – I’m doing this because I want to fight the best people I can fight with the little time I have left,” said Costa.
“If you move on to that next level like One FC, Bellator, UFC – any of those big promotions which is everyone’s goal right? I’m not going to lie and say that’s not my goal. If I want to do that, I think I’m too small for featherweights at that world-calibre level.
“Number two, I just lost the fight to (Jack) Jenkins. It wasn’t a fight that was close. So, I think I would be hard-pressed to get an immediate rematch, or a title shot soon in that division.”
While it was a tough loss for Costa against Jenkins, the former title challenger sees more than one avenue on his way back to a shot at Eternal MMA silver-wear, regardless of weight-class.
“I know (Justin) Van Heerden’s going to fight for the title,” he said.
“If Van Heerden wins, I think I have a good shot to fight him again because I beat him pretty convincingly (at Eternal 60). So, I’m not out of featherweight completely.”
With featherweight on hold for the time being, Costa is happy to turn his attention to the next weight-class down as he looks to the future.
Costa feels he’s still in the title picture at Featherweight.
“They said whoever wins this fight (against Mannu) is going to fight for the bantamweight title, so, that’s one fight and then a title-shot.”
“I’m also looking at the future. I want to start making the cut to bantamweight and get used to the pre-fight routine. It’s very easy for me to make featherweight. I can honestly train and eat normal and then one week out, I can dial down on a couple of things and then I can make featherweight.”
Less than a week out from another home match in Perth, Costa has been enjoying some of the new found adulation that comes with the territory of being one of Australia’s most popular competitors on the regional circuit.
A world-renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Costa has found that he is starting to become recognised in public more for his exploits inside of the Eternal MMA cage, rather than his success on the mats.
“I went to a comp last week to coach my guys and three people came to me and (asked) ‘Oh are you Rod that fights on Eternal?’ – Not one of them were talking about Jiu-Jitsu or (asking) ‘are you the guy the medalled at worlds?’,” said Costa with a laugh.
“Three (other) people came up to me and got photo’s, it was weird. But it’s all due to Eternal. It is very cool.”
Looking ahead to his opponent at Eternal 68, Costa was calm in his assessment of the potential challenge that awaits him in on other side of the cage.
“I saw one of his fights, he fought against a dude that trains with us now – (Anthony) Drilich,” he said.
“He’s got a lot of heart, good cardio. He lost that first round to Drilich, he got knocked around pretty bad. He stayed composed, came back and beat Drilich pretty bad, too.”
“I literally watched that fight twice and then I didn’t really think about it anymore. I know that he’s a southpaw and a couple other things we have to watch out for, but we’ll go out there and see what happens.”
News of current Eternal MMA featherweight champion – Jack Jenkins surfaced shortly after Costa shared his thoughts with Eternal MMA. The young Australian is now destined for a UFC audition on Dana White’s Contender Series in late September, a prospect that may see Costa seemingly closer to a follow up title shot at featherweight sooner than he forecasted.
For now, however, the eyes of the Scrappy MMA product are firmly lowered on his next test at Eternal 68 before he plots his next path to a title shot in the future.
“Chael Sonnen says this a lot and I love it, he said, ‘the worst thing that can happen in a fight is that you have an expectation, and the fight (ends up) being harder than what (that expectation) is.’ So, I think that first fight with Van Heerden, he thought my striking was shit and he was going to come in, stay away from my grappling and just pick me apart on the feet.
The first knockdown I had just changed his whole game. He froze a little bit, he never shot. I think even if he shoots on me (in a potential future matchup) it will be a tough fight, he’s a very good wrestler. I think my jiu-jitsu is better than his, but I think he is a better wrestler than me.
“I feel like that will be a very interesting fight, I think it will be a very hard back-and-forward fight. So, I will be looking forward to that fight if I can get it (again) if he wins.
“But apart from Van Heerden, the next thing is a Bantamweight title shot if I get over Mannu.”
Facing Costa out of the blue corner – Melbourne Victoria’s own – Michael Mannu will be looking to upset the hometown favourite, as he prepares for his second main event with Eternal MMA in as many fights with the promotion.
With over two and half years between now and his last fight, the 25-year-old has been staying well prepared between matchups as he looks ahead to what will be the toughest challenge of his young career.
“For the most part, the last two and half years I’ve been training the whole time,” said Mannu.
Although he hasn’t fought in a few years, Mannu has stayed active in the gym.
“It’s not like I took a break from the sport or had a bad injury where I wasn’t able to train for a long time. The lockdown laws in Victoria were very strict for a while, and just a bit of bad luck with fights as well. We’ve had events cancelled, I’ve had opponents injured, I’ve had an opponent deported.”
“I’ve just been working a lot on my skills – all facets of MMA, my strength and conditioning. So, I think I’m a different fighter now (compared) to my last fight.
“I think I’m really under the radar at the moment, so to have an opportunity like this is really exciting for me. No one knows who I am or what I can do, so being able to go out there and show it on UFC Fight Pass on the biggest show in the country is very exciting.”
“The previous opportunity’s falling through would (have all been) worth it for this opportunity I’m getting now.”
While Mannu is excited to finally get the chance to fight a high-level opponent like Costa, he is acutely aware of the dangers that the former IBJJF medal-winner presents. It is the confidence in his own abilities, however, that Mannu believes will see him get the job done come Saturday.
“Obviously with Rod, his jiu-jitsu is very good,” he said.
“He’s a very skilled black-belt, probably the most dangerous guy I’ve fought in terms of grappling credentials.”
“(But) I think he’ll find the bantamweights – they’re a bit faster than the featherweights. I think he’s going to see that I’m the fastest guy he’s fought. I’m (also) a very smart, disciplined fighter – a very cerebral fighter. He’s going to be hoping I make mistakes, but there won’t be many mistakes for him to capitalise on.
“He’s tough and its fifteen minutes – a three round fight, but I think I’m going to be in control from the start until the very end.”
Perhaps a good omen of sorts for Mannu is that he will be headlining his second main event for Eternal MMA exactly 34 cards after he topped the bill at Eternal 34 back in May of 2018. While he is not superstitious by his own admission, Mannu is very much aware of what is at stake for him should he get his hand raised against Costa.
“This is the number-one contender fight for the bantamweight belt on Eternal,” he said.
“So, the winner of this one gets to fight Shaun Etchell later in the year. And that (would) completely flip my year around – from having no fights to ending the year with two big fights on UFC Fight Pass.
“I’d assume the title-fight would be a main event, or a maybe a co-main on a big event. If that’s the case, that’s two headliners on the biggest show in the country on UFC Fight Pass to finish the year.”
A title shot is on the horizon, with a with over Costa.
With all eyes set to be on the main event at Eternal 68, Mannu believes it is the perfect platform to establish himself in the hearts and minds of fight fans as he manifests a future that he has long dreamt about.
“You never know how things could work out. I could get these two fights, then I’m 7-2, two massive wins and the UFC is coming to Australia in February… Things can happen overnight, stars can be made overnight.
“I’m really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel here. This is my big opportunity and I’m ready to make the most of it.”
– Eternal 68 main card can be viewed August 20th live and exclusive on UFC Fight Pass.
Kevin Jousset was only two fights into his professional career when he received his first title shot.
Serving as a replacement for the injured Glenn Pettigrew, Jousset stepped up on just two weeks’ notice to challenge then reigning welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena.
An eyelid laceration would see a doctors stoppage cut his first title bid short after the end of the second round, though Jousset was widely commended for his performance given the circumstances.
Since then, Jousset has strung together a run of three wins on his way back to a second shot at the title – the most recent of which being a hard-fought decision against Saeid Fatahifar at Eternal 59.
A black belt in Judo, Jousset demonstrated his elite level grappling skills, landing several hip-toss takedowns on his opponent, much to the delight of the crowd. Throughout the opening two rounds, Jousset expertly utilised his impressive height and reach advantage with teep kicks to the body of Fatahifar, while keeping the range with his jab at almost every exchange.
The third round would see Jousset unleash a barrage of strikes from the feet in the opening seconds, almost immediately causing blood to flow from the nose of the tough Iranian. A high octane last few minutes of the fight would see the Frenchman successfully stuff several takedown attempts from his weakening opponent, putting a stamp on his performance with stifling ground control mixed in with tireless ground and pound.
Jousset unleashes a barrage of strikes from the feet in the opening seconds of round three at Eternal MMA 59.
With the dominant decision win in his back pocket, the Eternal MMA brass had seen enough to award Jousset another shot at the welterweight strap. This time, with a complete training camp to back him up inside the cage.
Speaking with Eternal MMA, Jousset reflected on his most recent performance as he prepares for a second attempt at championship glory.
“I was quite dominant most of the fight,” said Jousset.
“It was a good way for me to show everyone I am one of the best welterweights in the country. Saeid is one of the toughest guys in the country as well. Being able to beat him meant a lot for the Eternal promoters, so they wanted me to fight for the belt.
“Obviously, all the lockdowns happened, so it had to be pushed back a bit later than what we had planned. (But) finally, we are getting there. Less than a week and I will have the belt around my waste.”
Originally born in France, Jousset would eventually find his way to New Zealand’s City Kickboxing after spending some time both in the UK and Australia.
On top of being able to learn from some of the region’s elite fighters, Jousset’s training is spearheaded by world-renowned MMA coach, Eugene Bareman.
The importance of being surrounded by such a high-level melting pot of talent and knowledge is not lost twenty-nine-year-old as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career to date.
Jousset deep in thought between rounds at Eternal 59.
“Training with those guys is insane,” he said.
“Coming from my background, I already knew that I could handle the best grapplers in the world because I’ve done it – I know how it is. But being able to train with the best strikers in the world now is great. If I can handle those guys, I can literally handle anyone.”
“Just (seeing) the work ethic, seeing how everyone is humble and just working their ass off every single day, it’s very humbling.”
The day-to-day learnings inside the confines of one of the world’s most elite MMA gyms are what Jousset believes will guide him to victory against his fellow title challenger, Kaleb Rideout.
While Jousset is aware of the kind of problems Rideout can present inside the cage, it is his steadfast belief that “Krazy Horse” will not have nearly enough for him when the cage doors close – no matter how the matchup plays out.
“He’s quite an aggressive fighter – very dangerous with some of his techniques,” he said.
“It’s going to be quite an exciting fight with two (different) styles against each other. I need to be very focused and aware of all the spinning attacks and all the stuff that he does to make sure that I don’t get caught.”
“I just need to apply my game plan and use my skills as well as possible, so I don’t get hit too much. I need to (deal) as much damage to him as possible.”
Jousset has made no secret of what his plans are as a professional mixed martial artist. Training with some of the best athletes in the world – many of whom themselves have made the journey from the Australia/New Zealand regional scene to international waters, Jousset eventually wants to follow suit.
While harbouring his own ambitions to one day compete in the UFC, he believes there is no better platform to showcase his abilities in this part of the world than Eternal MMA.
“Eternal is the biggest organisation in this part of the world,” he said.
“Once I get this belt around my waste, I will officially be the best welterweight in the country. That will definitely help open the doors to the big leagues.
“The goal is to fight in the UFC, as everyone knows. There are quite a few guys who used to hold the belt before, who then got signed to the UFC later. So, that’s the goal – getting the belt first and then getting signed (to the UFC).
Holding such lofty goals is standard for any fighter who wants to call themselves the best, and Kevin Jousset is no different. While he hopes to carve his own international path someday, he has no intention of looking beyond his next opponent standing in the way of him winning his first championship belt.
Asked if he believes there is a specific area in which he holds an advantage over his upcoming opponent, Jousset was resolute in his answer.
A response that came with somewhat of an advertisement for bad intentions to those tuning in on fight day.
“I have the advantage everywhere,” he said matter-of-factly.
“I’m a better striker than him, I’m a better grappler than him, I’m stronger than him. I think I have an advantage everywhere. I just need to be focused and do my thing, that’s it.”
“Violence is what people are going to see. I will show everyone that I am levels above all the other welterweights in the country – I will be ready to fight for the UFC sooner rather than later.”
“The main thing is, whatever happens, the conclusion stays the same – I’ll be winning this fight one-hundred percent.”
– Eternal 67 main card will be streamed July 16th live and exclusive on UFC Fight Pass.
Not since rising Australian star, Jack Della Maddalena vacated his title in 2021 in pursuit of a UFC contract has Eternal MMA had a welterweight champion to reign over the division.
Four successful title defences after first capturing the belt in March of 2018 would see the Perth native receive a call up to the heralded proving grounds of Dana White’s Contender Series – a chance he would take with both hands to earn himself the converted roster spot amongst the sport’s elite at 77 kilograms.
With the Eternal MMA welterweight title left vacant for would-be challengers to claim, two candidates would eventually separate themselves from the pack to earn a matchup against each other for the belt at Eternal 67. One of those contenders to emerge would be the highly touted and wildly exciting prospect, Kaleb Rideout.
Coming off a highlight-reel finish over Ben Johnston at Eternal 64, the man known as “Krazy Horse” effectively punched his ticket to a first-ever title shot inside the first round with a spinning back fist knockout.
Kaleb Rideout mid-spin at Eternal MMA 64.
Speaking with Eternal MMA, Rideout reflected on his recent win as he looks ahead to Eternal 67.
“I didn’t expect it to end so quickly,” said Rideout.
“Obviously, I wanted to finish the fight as quick as possible. I was cruising in (the opening exchanges), I was still feeling it out. He charged me and I just reacted to get out of the way and threw a spinning back fist.
“Ten seconds later and the fight was over.”
Originally a rugby league player as a junior, Rideout found mixed martial arts while training wrestling in the offseason.
Realising that he was destined to make a better fighter than a footballer, Rideout took up training at XXX Fight Academy under Nathan Reddy and Michael Mousalli – a move that would see him find success as an amateur before amassing a 6-2-0 record as a professional.
Prior to being awarded the main event slot at Eternal 67, Rideout admits that he initially had his eyes on a different opponent before happily taking up the offer to fight for a championship.
Kaleb Rideout addresses the crowd after his win over Ben Johnston.
“I actually busted my knuckles on Ben Johnston’s f**king forehead, so I had a bit of time off,” said Rideout with a laugh.
“I was originally after the Joey Luciano fight. I wanted to fight him because he ducks and weaves all the good fighters. One thing led to another, my coach rang me and said, ‘Eternal has got you for the belt – f**k this Joey fight’
“It’s all just erupted (from there), which has been overwhelmingly good, I can’t believe it.”
Standing across the other side of the Eternal MMA cage will be former title challenger and City Kickboxing product, Kevin Jousset.
With the French judoka coming off a win in a three-round war in his most recent matchup, Rideout is fully prepared to wade into deep waters should the fight go the distance.
“I never underestimate my opponents, I go in there thinking I’m fighting a God,” said Rideout.
“I’m always going in there expecting the unexpected. I don’t analyse my opponents, that’s up to my coaches (but) from what I see, it’s a pretty good matchup. He’s well-rounded with the ground game and with the striking.
“Apparently, he likes to throw people in Judo so, that’s fun, I like to go flying. It’s a match made in heaven if you ask me.”
“I’m really excited for this fight for many reasons. (I want) to show how good my striking is, because I know he’s training at City Kickboxing. If I finish this guy, this will put me at the pinnacle of Australia/New Zealand MMA, in my opinion.”
Kaleb Rideout is the type of fighter that welcomes the scrappy side of MMA. A fierce competitor with a genuine love for combat sports, it is apparent that he is always ready to walk into the fire and put on a show for the fans.
While Rideout is happy to expect an all-out war against his opponent, in the grand scheme of things, it is the prospect of winning the welterweight championship that means the most to him. It has been a journey, however, that has not been without its tribulations for the twenty-five-year-old.
“It would mean everything to me (to win the belt). I have trained my little white arse off to get to this position right now,” said Rideout.
“About a year and a half ago, I was 2-2 as a pro, not knowing what I wanted to do. I had to take some time away from the sport to get my head right, get my training right and level up.
“When I came back, I came back a different beast. I’ve grown twelve inches of hair and just started knocking people out.
“But that’s what I want – I want this belt.”
Now on a four-fight win streak – a run that included three finishes, it is clear that time away from the sport has worked wonders for Rideout’s trajectory. With a renewed focus on his life as well as his career, coaches and training partners alike began to see the growth in his game.
While Rideout is prepared for all outcomes, he believes that the progress made behind closed doors will earn him his first Australian MMA title in spectacular fashion.
“I want my hand raised over a KO,” he said.
“If I can knock this guy out, that would just show the level that I’m at – levels above everyone in Australia/New Zealand MMA.”
“What fans are going to see on July 16th is one of us is going to get knocked out, or we are both going to be standing there bloody, because that’s the way we both fight.”
“I go for the knockout or blood, and he goes for the knockout or blood. So, one of us is going to get what we want.”
– Eternal 67 main card will be streamed June 16th live and exclusive on UFC Fight Pass.
Eternal 67 is shaping up to be one of the most impressive cards on paper in recent memory – a trend that has seen the promotion grow to new and exciting levels with each passing event.
Of course, with that comes the opportunity to showcase new and exciting talent both Australia and other counties around the world.
With the promotion making its return to the Gold Coast on July 16th, the co-main event of the evening will play host to the Eternal MMA debut of an Iranian-born juggernaut in the form of Mohammad Alavi.
Speaking with Eternal MMA, Alavi shared his thoughts ahead of his highly anticipated matchup against Justin Van Heerden.
“I’m really excited for this fight,” said Alavi.
“I was supposed to fight for the featherweight title last year, but because of (the coronavirus pandemic) it was cancelled. (But) I’m really excited, Eternal is the biggest show in Australia – it’s a good platform for me to show my skills to everyone.”
Undefeated at 7-0 with six of his seven wins all coming by way of a finish, the now New South Wales based powerhouse is earning himself somewhat of a reputation as the “boogeyman” amongst the Australian featherweight rankings.
While he has been able to showcase his high-level talent against each of the opponents he has faced so far, it is Alavi’s belief that he is being avoided by most active featherweights in the country at present.
Mohammad Alavi ready to fly high at Eternal 67.
“I believe I’m the best featherweight in Australia,” he said.
“It’s really hard to get a fight. I want to fight with the best, whoever they think is number one. But all the top ten or top five Australian featherweight’s – they don’t want to fight me.”
“Even for this fight, they promised me it’s going to be a title fight, but I think the champion doesn’t want to fight me. That makes me feel like I’m the best featherweight because everyone is ignoring me, they’re ducking me.”
“I think I’m the most avoided fighter at featherweight.”
Although Alavi has felt frustrated by what he believes has been four years of struggling to find matchups, he concedes he feels the alleged avoidance is a compliment on his skillset. With lofty ambitions of his own to compete at the highest level, the man they call “Scarface” believes that there are some fighters who are turning down matchups in order to preserve their own record.
“It’s kind of a compliment but it’s really frustrating,” he said.
“I want to fight with the best, I want to fight for the belt, whoever is number one or number two, whoever is better than me. I want to fight with everyone!
“It’s hard because they don’t want to lose their belt. They don’t want to fight with me because nowadays everyone is looking for easy fights. They want to keep their records clean to get into the UFC.
“For me, I don’t care. In featherweight, I’ll fight anyone. Whoever in Australia or New Zealand, I don’t care.”
“Thankfully, Eternal found me an opponent, so I can finally fight.”
With Alavi feeling cold-shouldered by most of his potential matchups in Australia, the ever-ready Justin “Lockjaw” Van Heerden was more than happy to answer the bell – a revelation that surprised nobody familiar with the Freestyle MMA product.
“I know him, he’s been around for a long time, he’s an experienced guy,” said Alavi of his next opponent.
“He’s a good fighter, he’s experienced, and I respect him because he accepted to fight me. I really appreciate him.”
While the respect for his next opponent was evident, Alavi was not about to mince his words when it came to his intentions inside the Eternal MMA cage.
“I respect this guy, but he said I’m not on his level and he’s going to break me, so I’m going to punish him. I’m going to show him what his level is and I’m going (for the) kill. I’m going to finish him as soon as I can. I’m going to make sure all the people (watching) enjoy what’s going to happen.”
“After this fight, I’m going to be 8-0. I’ll have finished all my opponents. So, after this – because I’ll have proved I’m the best featherweight in Australia, I really believe (I’ll be) ready to fight in the biggest show in the world – the UFC.
“So, let’s see what’s going to happen. If they give me the chance, I’m going to show the world how good I am.”
“Just make sure 16th of July, be there, or watch on the stream because it’s going to be a beautiful finish.”
– Eternal 67 main card will be streamed July 16th live and exclusive on UFC Fight Pass.
It’s Men’s Mental Health Week and I thought it might be time for me to weigh in with my experiences with mental health issues and my learnings thus far. I will start off by saying that this is just my opinion, mainly built around ‘bro’ science and my own personal struggles and coping mechanisms. I go by lessons learned in all aspects of my life, I am not a researcher or anything like that. It happens to me, I go through it and manage it as best I can and if I make it out the other side I have learnings! That’s how it works for me so I’ll do my best to get it on paper.
I walked in to the doctors on the morning of November the 11th, Remembrance day which is ironic being ex Army, for what was a fairly routine appointment. 2hrs later I walked out and my whole world had changed forever. At the end of 2019 I had a heart attack before the weigh ins for Eternal DS 1. I was released from hospital the next day and the Dr’s had said they could find nothing wrong with my heart and I was made an outpatient for follow up tests. Fortunately I made it to the show and I’m glad I did as it was a cracker!!! Anyway I was just headed to the Doc to get my results of those follow ups. It was the good news that tipped me over the edge, I had a perfectly healthy heart in fact it was in such good condition it was surprising I had found myself hospitalised. I scratched my head in confusion and then the doc asked me a simple question “ Are you stressed out at all?”. I expected to answer that question with a hard ‘No’ but what happened instead was a breakdown! I began to cry, I hadn’t cried (outside of funerals and The Green Mile) for 15 years. Then all these memories began flowing from my mind and out of my mouth, I hadn’t told anyone these things ever. I certainly hadn’t ever thought about telling them to a relative stranger. My 15 minute consult was stretching almost well in to the 3rd hour and I was still dripping like a tap. The Doc was unreal, she had been a serving Black Hawk pilot for 20+ years so kinda knew a lot of where I was coming from. “You might have PTSD” was her assessment after listening to my dribble for hours.
I was immediately in denial, no not me, I’m good, nothing happened to me at war etc….. She then explained that anything can be a traumatic event, if Cam drops his beer that’s a traumatic event for him! Everyone is different and we all suffer things in different ways. She recommended me to seek therapy and I was open to that but being mid COVID most therapists were solidly booked until the new year. She kept seeing me once a week at the surgery until I could get in to therapy. I had walked in to her office that day without a care in the world, thinking I had it all under control and life was good. To be perfectly honest I left a mess, confused, sad, angry and with what seemed like a permanent black cloud sitting right. I held it together to the car then broke down again, crying in the car would become a regular in my life for the foreseeable future. I managed to get home without crashing.
It was at home where the trouble started, I told my wife what had happened and she was amazingly supportive. She thought it explained a lot as I had been an emotionless robot for the most part of our relationship, she said she would help me through it and we would get there. The problem with mental health is it’s all consuming when it’s bad, I used to think it was weakness as most men my age do. When it had me it really had me, I used to have bad days but had developed a rule that I could sulk or feel sorry for myself for that day but on waking up the next day it was gone, move on and get back to happy, positive me. I couldn’t do that anymore, I would wake up each day with the dark cloud, feeling pessimistic and finding zero joy. Weird, as I have an amazing family, beautiful children and a job I love, what’s to be sad about. I could find zero joy in anything it was all miserable and I couldn’t stop crying. I was ashamed of myself, a weak man who was a burden to all around me and I started to think everyone around me would be better off without me.
One night I was laying in bed and I couldn’t sleep, the misery, self pity and self hate was peaking and I wanted to end it. Get away from everyone who’s life I could worsen. I was about to climb out of bed and who knows what would have happened next. Just as I was about to get up my daughters image flashed as clear as day into my mind. I stopped, I later found out that children who have had a parent commit suicide have a 20% higher chance of becoming a victim of suicide themselves (From a reliable Dr source but no I haven’t researched to fact check, it’s helps me remember I couldn’t pass that legacy on to my kids!), I woke the missus up and she reassured me that I was wanted and needed and I lived to fight another day. For the ensuing weeks and months I remained in this horrible parallel universe of feeling ‘OK’ one minute and being almost convinced I shouldn’t be here the next. Luckily I have a really close group of people around me, my family of course ( I didn’t tell my parents as due to COVID they were stuck on the other side of the world and I didn’t want to worry them unduly) and my gym community and my pals. Everyone was brilliant and I leaned on a couple of people hard over the time post that consult with the doc.
It was a roller coaster, I developed some difficulty with sleeping and people entering my room at night. In my younger years in the forces I had some bad experiences with attacks whilst sleeping. One night my poor daughter came through the door with a red night light (Red light is very commonly used as a filter on torches in the Army) I don’t remember this my wife retold it, I sprung out of bed and grabbed her. I woke to both my wife and my daughter screaming and hysterical, terrified. This broke me, I could have potentially done harm to one of the people I would never knowingly hurt, ever. Sending me back in to a tailspin mentally as it made me think I was even more of a liability to the people around me. This happened again a few weeks later this time with the wife, she came to bed later and when she came in I freaked out again, I don’t remember doing it but came too with her screaming at me from behind the en suite door. I never was physical but was very aggressive, I have zero recollection of this and just came through coated in sweat and confused. The solutions we came up with at home were for me to sleep locked in the spare room for the foreseeable future. A good solution as I knew my family were safe but I found the worst in it. I’m a prisoner in my own home, sleeping locked in the spare room, negativity, negativity, negativity. Old me would have found the positives but I just couldn’t find any. I reached what I hope is my lowest ebb shortly thereafter, my wife was working late, the kids were in bed and I was left with my own thoughts. I quickly got on to the negative thought cycle and before I knew it I was walking circles of my kitchen bench with the biggest knife I could find wondering whether to use it or not. I was calm and I had talked myself to 2 options:
If I carry on down this path of misery It will end up one way, why be miserable for all that time just put an end to it.
Stop being miserable, choose to find positives and live life, embrace it and treasure it.
To me it was that simple, fuck off the face of the earth or grab life by the balls and sort myself out. Obviously, I sit here writing this so I made the right choice. I put the knife away, sat down on the couch and cried which was not unusual those days. By the time my wife got home I was in fine form, I sat her down and told her what I had been up to while she was out she was obviously shocked but she said I was noticeably different and we left it at that.
Since then I’ve been very good, once you hit rock bottom everywhere above it is a nice spot. What I have learned from working through all this, what has worked for me in dealing with it is what I will try to explain here. First and foremost I feel like I have to choose how to view life, I have to worry about what I can control. I made a choice marching around my kitchen bench to choose life. It’s a cliché and I think I first heard it being said in the movie Trainspotting but for me it makes perfect sense. My happiness and how I decide to live life is essentially a choice. Literally, everything I’m confronted with on the daily it is my choice how I deal with it. I try to find the positives or if it’s something out of my control I try to not even stress about it. Trust me, I know it sounds simple but it really is a choice, granted it is not an easy choice and I literally had to reach the bottom of the barrel to make it.
The second thing that has been a saviour has been talking about it, I have very open dialogue within my circle and am not afraid to speak up when I’m having a bad day and encourage those around me to do the same. I spend time now asking others how they are doing, not briefly as a pleasantry but a serious question with my full attention attached. It’s amazing how many people have opened up to me as a result too. A problem shared is a problem halved is another saying that is very appropriate, I try to regularly engage those around me in sub surface conversations. It really is good to talk and I personally think mental health afflicts men so badly as we are so reluctant to talk on how we are feeling as it is perceived by many as a weakness. I believe it’s a strength, Tyson Fury is the baddest man on the planet, the heavyweight champion of the world and he is very outspoken about his mental health and is as hugely inspirational character.
The third step I have taken is to seek regular appointments with a professional. It is actually nice to sit with someone who is completely impartial and just get some shit out of your head. I have begun to figure a lot of things out about myself as a result of these chats and I definitely have a better understanding of mental health as a result.
If you are struggling then tell someone, you’d be surprised to know how many people out there are also hiding there struggles. During my time coping with this I was surprised with the amount of close friends I spoke to who were dealing with similar issues or had similar thoughts to me. What has hit home is I am not alone and there is always someone willing to lend you an ear if you have the courage to ask. I have tried to put myself in peoples shoes if they are rude, stand offish, miserable or distant wheras in the past I may have thought ‘Miserable Fucker’ I now try and tell myself that I don’t know what they are dealing with and try cut everyone a bit more slack.
I will leave you with this famous Winston Churchill quote
Eternal MMA sits down with Cody Haddon for a quick-fire Q&A ahead of his fourth professional fight at Eternal 66 against Jarrett Wilbraham.
Age: 23
Where were you born?
I was born here in WA – Joondalup.
Where are you based now?
Still in WA – Northern Suburbs, Balcatta.
What gym do you train out of?
Luistro Combat Academy.
Who are your coaches?
Romel Luistro.
What sports and activities did you participate in growing up?
I started off in Taekwondo when I was six years old and then from there I got into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing. I would have been nine when I started doing all those sports (together). I was playing footy (Aussie rules) as well at the same time and I kept competing in those sports individually. Now I’m competing solely in MMA.
Only his fourth pro outing, Haddon has already shared the cage with the best.
When did you first decide to dedicate yourself to the sport of MMA?
The start of 2019, I would have been nineteen at the time. That’s when I went full-fledged focused on MMA.
In training, do you have any favourite techniques or areas that you enjoy drilling?
Not really, I like all of it. Just getting the heart rate up feels good. I can’t really say one aspect more than the other. I like it all equally.
What can fans expect to see from you when you step inside the cage?
I always bring a high pace. I like to put pressure on. I’m always looking to finish the fight at any chance I get – sooner rather than later as I don’t get paid overtime (ha-ha). I’m always looking for the finish, whether that’s a submission or striking.
What do you see as your biggest strengths as a martial artist?
I’d say my experience. I’ve only had “so many” MMA fights, but I’ve been competing in combat sports for so long. My knowledge in the sport itself, how much I know about it and all the disciplines.
What do you consider to be your standout performance as a professional up until this point in your career?
I wouldn’t say one fight I performed better than the other fight. In my last bout with Steve (former Eternal flyweight champion – Stephen Erceg), even though I lost the fight I feel like my performance was pretty good. I think if anything my biggest achievement was getting that first pro fight and winning. Not from a performance standpoint but more so from a success standpoint. That’s the big thing, being an amateur your whole life and then eventually turning pro. There’s not (to say) so much “pressure” on you, but everyone expecting (so much) of you already. To then go out and win it, that’s the biggest kind of achievement up until now because it’s what means the most to me.
Even through loss, Haddon rates his performance VS Erceg.
Could you compare your style at present to a UFC athlete?
People ask me that question quite often I can never seem to answer it. I feel like I haven’t had enough fights to explain exactly what my style is like. People haven’t seen the best of me yet and people haven’t seen what I’m capable of in all aspects of fighting.
Do you have a favourite fighter at a professional level?
Not really, I don’t have a favourite fighter. I respect all the fighters who are there in the UFC to be honest.
What belts or rankings do you currently posses as a martial artist?
I’m actually a Taekwondo black belt, which not many people know about, but that was my first martial art. I’m also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
What are some of the accolades you have achieved as a combat sports athlete?
Australian champion in boxing – three-time national champion. Four-time Pan Pacific Jiu-Jitsu champion, that was at blue-belt and purple-belt.
What are your goals for both the immediate and long-term future as a combat sports athlete?
The UFC. That’s the goal, that’s the always the end goal. I want to be UFC champion.
“I want to be UFC Champion.”
How do you see yourself getting your hand raised at Eternal 66?
I think on the feet I might land something and then progress towards a finish from there, just because I believe in my hands. No disrespect to my opponent, he’s great, but I just feel like I’m probably going to land something with my hands.
A message of thanks to your supporters?
First and foremost, my gym – Luistro Combat Academy. A big shout out to my sponsors – Vex MMA, Gobsmacked Sports Mouthguards, Pro Fuel Meals, Victory Recovery Systems, HempCann Labs, Gorilla Chiropratic, my CrossFit gym – CrossFit Dignus, Margaret River Roasting Co, Steezy and True Nemesis.
A final message to the fans ahead of your upcoming fight at Eternal 66?
To the fans – thank you for all the support. Without them buying tickets, paying for PPV’s, we as fighters wouldn’t be able to do this. This is my full-time job. At the moment, we’re not making any money out of it, so we do it all for the love. Without the fans, we wouldn’t have the fighters. I appreciate all the fans who are going to tune and as you know, I’ll be hunting for the finish as always.
