On July 25, 2015, Eternal MMA made its long-awaited debut in Perth with Eternal 11 — a grassroots event that would quietly lay the foundation for a movement. Held inside a boxing ring at the WA Italian Club due to the state’s then-active cage ban, the night featured 11 fights, six finishes, and an energy that hinted at what was to come.
For Western Australia, this event meant more than just fights. It was the beginning of a pathway — a platform for local talent to compete, grow, and eventually rise to the highest levels of the sport.
Headlining that historic Eternal card was Ryan Gray versus Bowen Cornish. Gray wins with a triangle choke in Round 2, just 57 seconds in. Also, on the card was Mitch Martin, who would go on to become one of Eternal’s most dominant champions — finishing his career undefeated at 8-0, with three knockouts and three submissions to his name.
“It was the beginning of wearing multiple hats,” recalled Eternal director and Scrappy MMA head coach Ben Vickers. “I had a million fighters on the card, including the main event, and I was also promoting the show. But I knew that night it was the start of something. The atmosphere in that place was unique and intimidating — so awesome.”
According to Eternal MMA CEO Cam O’Neill, the vision for bringing Eternal to Perth came from a clear need.
“We always believed in the talent here — but what we saw was a serious lack of opportunity,” O’Neill said. “No dedicated MMA events, no athlete pathway, and fighters from Western Australia were too expensive to fly east — so they were constantly overlooked. I could see it clearly: fighters in Western Australia needed their own platform.”
That’s where the partnership between Cam and Ben took root.
“Ben had a gym full of killers and nowhere to showcase them. Together, we knew Eternal needed to go national, then global… and Western Australia was the perfect place to start.”
Before Eternal 11, WA’s fight scene was patchy at best. MMA fights were squeezed into hybrid shows, and pro fighters had to travel east — often at their own expense — just to compete. Eternal’s arrival changed that, bringing regular events and a structure that WA athletes could build careers around.
From that first event, Eternal would go on to host seven more shows in the ring, including Eternal 13, which featured the debut of a young Jack Della Maddalena, who would later become the UFC welterweight champion of the world. That card was headlined by Myles Simpson versus Ryan Gray.
In June 2017, the cage ban in Western Australia was finally lifted — a move that Eternal MMA had actively advocated for.
“The cage ban being lifted was incredible for Perth,” Vickers said. “It meant the UFC could consider the city for events, gyms were busier, and the sport truly started to thrive here.”
Just two months later, Eternal 28 was the first Eternal cage event in the state, headlined by Josh Della, who scored a devastating first-round knockout over Brandon Ropati.
Building a Perth Legacy: The Events That Followed
From there, Perth became a regular stronghold for Eternal MMA:
- Eternal 25: Mitch Martin claimed the bantamweight title; Anthony Drilich (future flyweight champion) also competed and won his bout.
- Eternal 28: New South Wales’ Josh Togo (future lightweight champion) competed in WA, beginning his climb in the division.
- Eternal 31: Casey O’Neill fought in Perth for the first time, while Jack Della Maddalena continued his ascent.
- Eternal 34: Cody Haddon made his debut with a first-round submission over Danial “Mini T” Williams — both would go on to compete on the world stage.
- Eternal 37: Jack Della Maddelena defended his belt; Quillan Salkilld made his debut, and Ryan Jankowski emerged as a contender.
- Eternal 40: Featured future UFC fighters Callan Potter and Carlos Ulberg.
- Eternal 44: Moved to HBF Stadium (now Perth HPC), headlined by UFC veterans Steven Kennedy and Ben Alloway, with rising stars like Seb Szalay and Quillan on the card.
- Eternal 47: Steve Erceg defeated Paul Loga, alongside strong showings from Cody, Seb, and Quillan.
Eternal 48: While not held in Perth, this event marked a pivotal moment in Eternal history — the beginning of the promotion’s partnership with UFC Fight Pass, a global distribution deal that brought more exposure than ever before to Australian fighters.
- Eternal 51: Jack Della headlined; Casey O’Neill returned for her second fight in Perth.
- Eternal 53: Jack Della’s final Eternal appearance before joining the UFC, defeating Aldin Bates in a rematch. Cody and Quillan also featured.
- Eternal 60: A wild main event between Steve Erceg and Cody Haddon had the entire stadium on its feet — both fighters later signed to the UFC.
Eternal’s International Impact
Since then, Eternal’s influence has only grown:
- Eternal 73: Steve Erceg earned his UFC contract after defeating a top Japanese contender.
- Eternal 76: Quillan Salkilld became lightweight champion, a superstar selling out venues.
- Eternal 87: Kevin Kophamel VS Harry Webb went down as one of the greatest Australian MMA fights ever, with Webb crowned the new champ.
- Eternal 97: A full-circle moment — Jack Della Maddalena returned to Perth with the UFC belt.
Eternal MMA has now held nearly 100 events, with Eternal 99 set to return to Perth — a milestone that speaks to the promotion’s consistency and growth. The promotion directly injects over $750,000 annually into the WA economy, brought international fighters from America, Thailand, Japan, and Korea, and given both homegrown and interstate athletes a legitimate pathway to the world stage.
Today, Perth is home to four fighters currently signed to the UFC — Jack Della Maddalena, Steve Erceg, Quillan Salkilld and Cody Haddon — with three of them being former Eternal champions. Eternal also played a major role in elevating talents like Casey O’Neill, Carlos Ulberg, and Callan Potter, who used their opportunities in WA to launch global careers.
A Decade of Impact
There’s something special about Perth fight fans — loud, loyal, and proud. From a boxing ring in an Italian social club to roaring stadiums and UFC glory, they’ve backed their own from the very beginning.
Among those who’ve witnessed Eternal’s growth firsthand is Leanne Phillips, who began as a timekeeper at the WA Italian Club and eventually went on to judge, work with the Combat Sports Commission, and now the UFC.
“Back at the Italian Club, it was all heart and hustle,” she recalls. “That grassroots experience grounded me in what this sport is really about — giving fighters a platform and growing something real.”
Over the years, she’s seen MMA in WA shift from misunderstood to mainstream.
“Eternal helped legitimise the sport. Their professionalism, structure, and focus on fighter development made people take MMA seriously. It’s been incredible to watch it evolve — and Eternal has been at the centre of that evolution.”
“And one of them, our former welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, has gone all the way to become the UFC welterweight world champion. Let that sink in — a kid who fought for us here in Perth now wears UFC gold,” said O’Neill. “WA has always been a hotbed for talent — they just needed the stage. Eternal MMA became that stage. And 10 years on, we’re still here, louder and prouder than ever.”
Through it all — from venue challenges to the uncertainty of the pandemic — Eternal MMA never wavered. While much of the country was locked down due to COVID, Eternal rolled the dice and kept the show going. Against the odds, the team persevered, ensuring that Australian fighters — including those in Western Australia — had a platform when the world stood still.
“The scene has blown up since those early days,” said Gray, the former Eternal Featherweight champion. “Now it’s not just hardcore fans in the room — it’s a legit night out. Eternal has been a big part of making that happen.”
“It all started with a ring, a relationship between Cam and I, and a whole lot of hard work,” said Vickers. “Ten years later — look where we are.”
As Cam O’Neill put it best:
“Here’s to the past 10… and the next 10 to come. Perth — thank you for riding with us. We’re just getting started.”
