Isi ‘Doxz’ Fitikefu is ready to show the world he “truly belongs” alongside MMA’s elite when he takes on Hiroyuki ‘Japanese Beast’ Tetsuka at ONE 168: Denver.
Born in New Zealand before relocating to Australia, Isi Fitikefu (8-1) now travels to the US where he aims to cement himself as the number one welterweight contender when he comes face to face with Hiroyuki Tetsuka (14-4) on Saturday, September 7 (AEST).
The proud Tongan fighter last fought in April 2023, securing a sensational first-round RNC submission against Valmir Da Silva. ’Doxz’ revealed he has trained consistently since then but has also tried to “pull back a gear” when in the gym, prioritising his health and wellbeing.
“When you’re not fighting, you’re just training, and in my head, all I think is to get better, get better, get better,” he told Fight News Australia.
“Sometimes you’ve got to pull the gear back in when you go too hard. If you go too hard you end up breaking something.”
Fitikefu endured a back-and-forth brawl during his first bout with ONE Championship before claiming a highlight reel finish in his second. Now on the cusp of his third matchup, ‘Doxz’ said his fans can expect this fight against ‘Japanese Beast’ to be a “barn burner”.
“We’ve got a little bit of a similar style but I feel like I’m the sharper one, even though he’s got more experience than me,” he said.
“But at the end of the day – who wants it more?”
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Fighting out of the famed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange and home to fellow MMA fighters Robert Whittaker and Jacob Malkoun, Isi Fitikefu made the move to Sydney from New Zealand at the young age of 14 because there were “more opportunities” for him to pursue a career in rugby league.
Despite committing to MMA, Fitikefu was a top prospect in rugby, even making it to the NRL’s Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and coming close to being selected for first grade.
“Growing up I’ve always loved combat sports but I was always a short kid … playing rugby league I met my head coach now, my first coach, Alex Prates,” he said.
“He came in to do a wrestling clinic for rugby league, he was showing me a few things and I was shook by it.
“It was something simple and basic but it just changed my whole mentality as well, even just learning a little bit in that one-hour session, and that gave me the big push to martial arts.”
The 31-year-old is still involved with the NRL as he plays an integral part of the coaching team for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He incorporates wrestling and grappling techniques into the team’s training to help with the players’ tackling abilities.
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ONE 168: Denver is not the first time ONE Championship has set foot in the US, and ‘Doxz’ is hopeful the organisation could soon make plans to bring an event into his own backyard, Down Under.
Australia has become a powerhouse for mixed martial arts, producing elite-level fighters across multiple weight classes and world champions in several promotions.
Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have hosted some of the most entertaining and fan-packed cards over the last decade and ONE has dozens of Australian and New Zealand fighters who would fight tooth and nail to put on a show-stopping event for their countrymen.
“If that happens, I’m the first person to put my hand up, and if that does happen, I hope it happens in Sydney,” Fitikefu said.
“I’d love to put a show on for the family and the fans, hopefully, it happens in the future.”
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Whatever the future holds for Isi Fitikefu, he is 100 per cent focused on his current opponent and plans to reveal how far he has evolved since he last put on the gloves.
“That’s the best aim of every fight, to be better than your last fight, upgrade your skillset, upgrade your mindset,” he said.
“I feel like this fight you’re going to see a sharper side of me, sharp jabs, sharp shots, so we’ve got some stuff planned.
“My goal is to win and winning comes with opportunity. If I win this fight and an opportunity presents itself I’ll take it, but I feel like so far I’ve been making a statement.
“That last fight was a win, but with this fight, I’m showing that I truly belong, I truly belong up on that high level — so tune in for a big banger.”
Watch Isi ‘Doxz’ Fitikefu enter the ONE Championship cage on Saturday, September 7 (AEST) at ONE 168: Denver, live from the Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado, United States.
Fans in Australia can watch the fights through 7 Sport or the 7+ app.
