Sean Gauci joins Australian MMA ahead of his April 18 fight in Belfast against Liam Gittins, breaking down why he signed with PFL, how the UFC opportunity unfolded after Dana White’s Contender Series, his thoughts on bantamweight vs flyweight, and why he still believes PFL will come to Australia. He also opens up on health, career setbacks, his team, and what a big performance in Belfast could mean next.

TIMECODE:

00:00 Intro
01:05 Sean Gauci joins the show
01:50 Arriving early in Belfast and adjusting
02:45 Training in Ireland with Alan Philpott
03:30 Aussies and Kiwis stacked on the card
04:20 PFL Pacific and PFL Global plans explained
05:35 Why Sean signed with PFL after Contender Series
07:15 Bantamweight vs flyweight discussion
08:45 Missing time through injury and illness
09:50 Becoming one of the older heads in the sport
10:35 Why he still fights despite a career outside MMA
11:50 Health update and how he feels at bantamweight
13:00 Wrestling, striking and evolving his style
14:45 Looking back on the Contender Series fight
16:00 Feeling respected by PFL
16:45 Breaking down Liam Gittins as an opponent
17:55 Family support and fight week in Ireland
18:40 Ryan Dunstan and the team around him
19:25 PRP Global support and shoutouts
20:00 Fight night mindset and Irish celebration plans

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 Matty Iann’s heartbreaking Road to UFC withdrawal, James Vake’s tough loss, Lisa Kyriacou’s latest win in China, and Carlos Ulberg’s incredible UFC title victory after battling through injury. We also look ahead to a huge upcoming week featuring Sean Gauci, Chelsea Hackett, Tyson Pedro, David Martinez and more.

TIMECODES:

0:00 Intro

0:45 Matty Iann Out of Road to UFC

5:05 James Vake Suffers Tough Loss

7:15 Lisa Kyriacou Wins in China

11:15 Carlos Ulberg Wins UFC Gold

19:45 PFL Belfast Preview

23:05 Bare Knuckle Australia Mention - Aaron Tau

24:00 Outro

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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

This week on Australian MMA, recorded Monday 30th of March 2026, we break down the biggest stories across the local and international scene. From Justin Van Heerden calling time on his career to Navajo Stirling’s rise continuing in the UFC, plus Kyle Mayocchi scoring another international win, there is plenty happening across Australian and New Zealand MMA.

We also cover UFC Perth ticket details, Casey O’Neill’s huge return, Israel Adesanya’s latest result, Aaron Tau’s bare knuckle move, and more key stories shaping the sport.

TIMECODES:

0:00 Intro

0:18 Justin Van Heerden Retirement News

3:05 UFC Perth Fight Night & Ticket Info

5:02 Melbourne Fight Series & Amateur Scene

6:35 UFC Seattle Recap

8:15 Israel Adesanya’s Latest Loss

10:05 Casey O’Neill’s Big Return

11:20 Navajo Stirling Keeps Rising

13:45 Aaron Tau Signs for Bare Knuckle

15:35 Kyle Mayocchi Wins in Japan

18:10 Parliamentary MMA Meeting & Aussie Representation

19:30 Outro

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For more visit: www.australianmma.com.au

Brando Pericic joins Mitchell Tinley on Australian MMA after his first-round win over Luis Sutherland at UFC London. The rising Australian heavyweight talks about his fast start in the UFC, chasing the top five, life between Adelaide, Sydney and New Zealand, his mindset in and out of camp, and why he believes a world title is inevitable.Brando also opens up on sponsorship, loyalty, handling growing media attention, his Croatian heritage, and when fans could see him back in the cage next. This is a must-watch interview with one of Australia’s most exciting heavyweight prospects.For more visit: www.australianmma.com.au

Brodie Mayocchi joins Mitchell Tinley on Australian MMA to talk about his undefeated pro run, life at City Kickboxing, training under Brogan Anderson and Eugene Bareman, his recent win in China, and what could come next in his career. At just 20 years old, Mayocchi is already being talked about as one of Australia’s most exciting MMA prospects.In this interview, Brodie Mayocchi opens up about his development, the coaching team around him, potential future opponents, fighting internationally, and why he is not rushing his path to the UFC. If you follow Australian MMA, City Kickboxing, Eternal MMA, and rising UFC talent, this is one to watch.Subscribe to Australian MMA for more fighter interviews, MMA news, analysis, and Australian combat sports coverage.For more visit: www.australianmma.com.au