Aussies, Brits face off in UFC's Smashes

The rivalry between Australia and the mother country is about to get violent, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship bringing its hit reality TV show down under.

One of the world’s fastest growing sports, the popularity of mixed martial arts exploded after the debut series of The Ultimate Fighter aired in 2005.

Fighters live together, train together and eventually fight each other on the show, with the overall winner receiving a lucrative contract with MMA’s pre-eminent organisation, the UFC.

UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik announced yesterday that tryouts for “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” would be held next month in Sydney and London.

“Australia and the UK have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC’s Octagon,” he said.

“The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the UK, with gyms opening all over the respective countries.

“There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do - the Ultimate Fighter is going give to him that opportunity."

For Osborne Park’s Xavier Lucas, 31, a two-time Pacific Rim Shooto Champion, winning a UFC contract would be a dream come true.

The South African-born fighter, who was a police officer in his homeland, said he had trained long and hard for this opportunity.

“I started boxing at age 8, got into MMA 10 years ago and I haven’t stopped training,” he said.

“I’m going to be fighting against the top guys in Australia and the UK and I’m ready to show everyone I’m the best.

“I’ve been hanging out for something like this; it would mean everything to me.”

Two Australians who broke into the UFC through TUF were Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt George Sotiropoulos and Steve Irwin’s former bodyguard, Kyle Noke.

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