Chelsea Hackett joins Australian MMA ahead of her April 18 return in Belfast, where she takes on Andrea Vasquez after two years away from competition. In this interview, Chelsea breaks down the wild travel saga that nearly derailed her trip, her excitement around coach Ben Johnston earning a UFC opportunity, and how Eugene Bareman came into the picture for fight week. The transcript covers her return to action, training in Ireland, her opponent, and why this feels like the happiest and most motivated she has been heading into a fight.

TIMECODES:
00:00 Intro01:32 Chelsea Hackett’s nightmare flight to Belfast06:18 Weight cut and surviving travel chaos08:09 Arriving in Ireland and training overseas10:34 Ben Johnston’s UFC opportunity14:36 The emotional side of Ben’s return and Darcy Vendy’s setback18:14 Two years out of the cage and what happened21:09 Fighting on a strong Aussie and NZ-heavy car22:33 Eugene Bareman stepping in to corner23:40 Chelsea’s mindset heading into Andrea Vasquez25:02 Breaking down Andrea Vasquez26:31 Final message before fight week

Ben Johnston joins Australian MMA to talk through one of the most remarkable stories in Australian MMA this year. After retiring, vacating his Eternal MMA title and shifting fully into coaching, Ben now finds himself heading to UFC Perth with the opportunity he always chased.

In this interview, Ben opens up on how the call came together, the bittersweet circumstances around Darcy Vendy, the challenge of going from coach back to fighter, and why this moment hits differently now that life outside the cage has changed so much.

From marriage and a baby on the way to a shock UFC call-up, this is a must-watch conversation with one of the most respected figures in Australian MMA.

TIMECODES:

00:00 - Intro

02:05 - Ben Johnston reacts to getting the UFC call

05:10 - How the opportunity came together

08:35 - Darcy Vendy’s role in the story

12:20 - Returning from retirement to active fight camp

17:10 - Coach to fighter mindset shift

22:00 - Has Ben lost a step?

25:20 - Is this a one-fight return or something bigger?

28:10 - Marriage, baby news and life changing fast

32:00 - Why this is the story of the year

35:10 - Final thoughts and UFC Perth

For more visit: www.australianmma.com.au

This week on Australian MMA, we break down the biggest stories across the local and international scene, including the latest Road to UFC announcements, new fights added to UFC Perth, Ben Johnston’s incredible late UFC call-up, and a tough result for Aussie flyweight Stewart Nicolls. We also touch on Eternal MMA’s next big rivalry, UFC BJJ results for Australian athletes, and what is next for some of the region’s top names.

TIMECODES:

0:00 Intro

0:45 Road to UFC Aussies Announced

4:35 UFC Perth Fight Additions

11:55 Ben Johnston’s UFC Opportunity

15:20 Eternal MMA Rivalry Builds

17:20 Stewart Nicolls’ Tough UFC Result

19:10 Aussies in UFC BJJ

21:00 Outro

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www.australianmma.com.au