Caesar marches on Auckland
One of Hamilton’s top fighters makes his professional debut on Saturday night.
One of Hamilton’s top mixed martial artists is set to make his professional debut on Saturday night.
Julius “Caesar” Poananga, 23, will fight a three round bout at Shuriken MMA’s Elimination Fight Night event on Auckland’s North Shore.
He will face Whangarei’s Ryan Anderson, a South African ex-pat and head coach of the Lion’s Den Gym.
Mixed martial arts, popularised by the wildly successful Ultimate Fighting Championship, is a blend of martial disciplines such as boxing, wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu.
Competitors fight a series of timed rounds and victory can be gained through a knockout, submission or judge’s decision.
Under professional rules, the fighter is entitled to be paid for competing, with some promotions offering additional performance based financial bonuses.
Saturday night may be the most difficult challenge Poananga has faced so far, but he says he has put in the work necessary to take the win.
“I’m well rounded now. I’ve been working my strength and conditioning with Reece Hepi, training five or six times a week.”
Poananga, a bouncer at Hamilton nightclub The Hood, took up the sport after witnessing legendary Russian fighter Fedor Emelianenko on a televised event.
“I thought ‘that’s something I could get in to’,” he said.
Poananga began training at local gym Core MMA shortly before his 21st birthday and was competing within the year, fighting three times for the now defunct Industry of Combat New Zealand promotion.
“Caesar” also enjoyed success in Thai boxing, training under New Zealand martial arts icon and renowned coach Terry Hill.
“That was good,” said Poananga, “It helped improve my striking and made me more confident.”
Hill continues to work with Poananga on his Thai boxing.
Joesef Hamblin, one of Poananga’s Brazilian jiu jitsu coaches at Core MMA, believes his fighter is more than just physically strong.
“It’s his mental toughness that gives him the advantage,” Hamblin said. “His heart.”
The fact that Poananga is the current New Zealand X-TREME Thai Boxing heavyweight champion despite weighing less than 90kg supports Hamblin’s belief.
“These fights are all stepping stones,” said Hamblin. “We’re looking to fight in Australia and eventually the international stage.”
Poananga agrees: “I’ve stopped thinking about this like a hobby and started thinking about it more as a career.”
For that to be a reality, Poananga will have to make it to the top of the sport.
Despite the explosive growth of mixed martial arts, most fighters are still woefully underpaid in comparison with mainstream athletes.
There are few organisations where fighters can earn a living, but for Poananga there’s only one.
“The ultimate goal is for every fighter is the UFC,” he said.
“It’s just business.”
