Eternal MMA sits down with Peter Templer for a Q&A ahead of his co-main event bout at Eternal 75 against Lachlan Stitt.
Age:
25.
Where were you born:
I was born in Adelaide, but I’ve been in Mackay most of my life.
Where are you based now:
Mackay
Which gym to you train out of:
Mackay MMA
Who are your coaches:
It’s changed a little bit recently, but David Garnham’s always sort of my head coach. I’ve got Dan Moulder – he’s more of a striking coach. I do a bit of work with some other guys – Clint McLachlan, Danny Borg… Ash Clein’s been holding pads for me. So, I’ve got a few guys to work with.
What belts or rankings do you currently possess as a martial artist:
I got my black-belt six months ago in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
What sports or activities did you participate in growing up:
Always played soccer from a young age. I was pretty serious about soccer until I got to about fifteen, then I stared training MMA. That sort of took over, I still played (soccer) for a couple of years but it’s all MMA now.
When did you first decide to dedicate yourself to the sport of MMA:
I started when I was fifteen, but the gym was only (operating) two or three times a week (back) then. As we’ve grown, we train five or six days a week for the last eight years or so.
Favourite aspect of training:
Definitely just those hard, long rounds rolling or wrestling where we can just go hard. Striking, you have to be obviously a bit more controlled.
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths as a mixed martial artist:
I took naturally to jiu-jitsu – I had a pretty natural grasp on that nice and early. Also, I think I can be coached pretty well. I don’t get stuck in my ways and I can adapt quickly to new information.
Can you compare your fighting style to any high level mixed martial artist:
Not so much in recent years, but I used to really like to emulate Rory MacDonald – he was just one of those earlier than guys that was straight MMA, he didn’t have a super specific specialty. Just MMA from the start.
Who would you consider to be some of your favourite combat sports athletes:
Not so much one favourite, I’ll pretty much just support the Aussie’s. If they’re Australian, even Kiwi, that’ll do – I’ll back them guys.
Which fight do you consider to be your standout performance so far:
The last one against (Michael) Tepou was definitely a great fight for me. We stuck to the game plan; another heavy striker similar to Lachlan in that regards (albeit) a very different body. The game plan worked perfectly, stuck to it and came away nice win.
What are your goals for both the immediate and long-term future:
Short-term obviously (is to) win this one this weekend and perform. Long term – even out the record, get a couple more wins and then start looking for that Eternal title.
What can fans expect to see from you when you step foot inside the cage:
Most of my wins have definitely come from jiu-jitsu, but I think my striking has definitely caught up in recent years doing a lot of work with Dan Moulder. They can expect a different fight from the usual this time around.
How do you see yourself getting your hand raised at Eternal 75:
I don’t like to have anything set in stone so I’m ready for anything. But I think it might be a KO/TKO this time around.
A final message to your fans and supporters.
Big thanks to all my coaches, all the people coming to watch – it’s a long way to travel from Mackay to “Goldy”. I’ve got a decent crew coming to support. (Also), all of the other people and training partners that have helped me in this training camp and along the way.