Know Your Fighter: Amena Hadaya

Full Name:

Amena Hadaya

Age:

25

Where were you born:

Australia

Where do you live:

Wollongong

Which gym do you train out of:

Freestyle mma

Who are your coaches:

Joe Lopez

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

Purple belt jujitsu

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Soccer Boxing

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

I began training to keep fit as a kid at 8 years old then I had a a few boxing fights from 18 years old won those 5 then transitioned to MMA after some injuries and started fighting mma at 20 after my first fight I knew I wanted to chase this dream

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

Pushing my body to extreme limits and wrestling

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

The team I have around me and my will to keep going no matter what

How would you describe your fighting style:

Unorthodox

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA I love the art of the sport and how things can change in a second

Who is your favourite athlete:

Don’t really have one but those who support the needy

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Volk

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Get atleast 4 fights in this year win them all grow as a fighter and make it to the UFC

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

Carnage

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

A scrap

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Without these people the sport wouldn’t be what it is

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

Instagram: @amenamariam

Know Your Fighter: Joel Hogan

Full Name:

Joel Hogan

Age:

35

Where were you born:

Perth

Where do you live:

Perth

Which gym do you train out of:

Scrappy Mma

Who are your coaches:

Ben Vickers, Ryan Gray, Jack Becker

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

KO of the night on Bragging Rights

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

Muay Thai, Zen do Kai, Surfing and Ninja Warrior.

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

In 2014 I had my first Mma fight and took it seriously for a few years. Then focused on other interests after. I help build a retreat in Peru and then competed on two seasons of Australian Ninja Warrior. Then I returned to the sport as a coach in 2022 I realised my passion for the sport was really strong and now I have decided to become a professional.

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

Striking. It’s always been my favourite. I love that aspect of mma. It’s exciting, intense and unqiue to your own style. Hitting pads is my favourite session of the week..

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

My greatest strength is timing. Creating openings and being able to generate lots of power from unorthodox positions.

How would you describe your fighting style:

Explosive striker with heavy ground and pound.

What is your favourite sport and why:

Mixed martial arts because it is the most exciting sport to watch and participate in.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Conor Mcgregor

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

Conor Mcgregor

What are your immediate and long term goals:

Win my next eternal mma bout on Feb 10th, 2024. Become Eternal Champion and then Ufc Champion and hall of famer

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

They can expect fireworks and an exciting showcase of striking and mma.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Getting the victory by way of knock-out.

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Massive love to the my friends, family and supporters. Thanks for pushing me, motivating me and encouraging me every step of the way. Also to my son who inspires me to become the best I can be. Huge love to you little man.

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

Instagram: @superspiritmma

Know Your Fighter: Daniel Mitchell

Full Name:

Daniel Mitchell

Age:

27

Where were you born:

Sydney

Where do you live:

Western Sydney

Which gym do you train out of:

Sydney West martial arts and premier fight team

Who are your coaches:

Craig Jehn, Luke Martin & David Ward

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:

Athletics Swimming Rugby league

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

After my first fight win I knew this was something I wanted to take seriously at the age of 20.

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

1 on 1 sessions with my coaches. Learning and developing

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

My endurance and my competitiveness

How would you describe your fighting style:

All round with lots of pressure

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA of course. Only do it because I love it

Who is your favourite athlete:

George’s St- Pierre

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

George’s st- Pierre

What are your immediate and long term goals:

2024 1 bantamweight in Australia/New Zealand as a professional fighter. Long term goal is the UFC and be a regular fighter

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

Entertaining fight as I won’t stop bringing the heat

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

Always hunting to finish him either way and always putting relentless pressure in

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

Thank you to everyone that has supported me all the way, you all know who you are.

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

Instagram: @daniel_thestorm_mitchell

Facebook: Daniel The Storm Mitchell

Know Your Fighter: Dallas Denniss

Dallas Denniss, Eternal MMA

Full Name:

Dallas Denniss

Age:

25

Where were you born:

Darwin, Australia

Where do you live:

Sunshine Coast, Australia

Which gym do you train out of:

Combat Lab Martial Arts

Who are your coaches:

Joel Szepesvary

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

Blue Belt in Jiu Jitsu

What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:

I grew up doing various martial arts like taekwondo and kyokushin karate but never stuck to it as a kid. I was pretty athletic growing up and tried out heaps of different sports on and off like basketball, AFL and rugby but never stuck to them.

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

Not until my 3rd armature fight. People would always ask me what I wanted to get out of fighting, why I did it and where I wanted to go with it. I would always reply with “I’m just taking it as it comes and having fun” but now I’m fully aware of my potential and I’m committed to becoming one of the best.

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

my favourite session is the strength and conditioning circuit, I love the challenge and the pain that comes with it, I love the feeling of having to push the extra mile to get the work done.

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

my dedication to the sport and my training. I pride myself on being able to train while everyone else is resting on a Sunday. While people sleep in I’m getting better and mastering my craft.

How would you describe your fighting style:

im not just a striker, a grappler or a wrestler. I’m a mixed martial artist and that what i train to be. I want to be able to stand with the best, wrestle with the best and roll with the best. This is a never ending journey of mastery.

What is your favourite sport and why:

MMA because there’s a never ending amount of information and skills to learn. You’ll never run out of things to learn and techniques to practice. It’s a life long journey that will never get boring.

Who is your favourite athlete:

Georges St-Pierre

Who is your favourite combat sports athlete:

It’s always changing but as of now Retired – GSP Active – Corey Sandhagen

What are your immediate and long term goals:

I want to become a complete mixed martial artist and have no weaknesses anywhere in my game. I want to fight as much as I can while I have youth on my side and eventually become a multi division champion.

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

They should expect fast paced, controlled chaos. A fight full of highlights.

How do you see your upcoming fight playing out:

I believe wherever the fight plays out, that’s where I beat him. I don’t think he’s on my level

A final message to any friends, family and supporters:

I hope I can put on a show for the fans and also do my family and mates proud, the people closest to me know how much i put into these fight camps so thank you to those who are by my side and supporting me all the way

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

Instagram: @daldimadome

Facebook: Dallas Denniss

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