‘Everything Happens For A Reason’ – How Rugby Heartbreak Led Isi Fitikefu To MMA Success
Isi “Doxz” Fitikefu thought a career as a professional rugby player was the thing he wanted most in life, but he found true happiness when that dream ended.
Fitikefu grew up on the “footy” pitches of Auckland and Sydney, but now he’ll next return in U.S. primetime at ONE 168: Denver on Friday, September 6, when the world’s largest martial arts organization returns to North America.
The Australian-Tongan star will bring an 8-1 professional record into his welterweight MMA clash with Hiroyuki “Japanese Beast” Tetsuka at Ball Arena, but he had no idea he’d be fighting in prestigious stadiums across the world when his time was up with the National Rugby League’s Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
Looking back on the moment that saw his first ambition fade away, “Doxz” told onefc.com:
“There used to be a competition called the Toyota Cup. It was pretty big. It was one step away from playing first grade. It was like the junior NRL competition, and then most of the players that played in that would get selected to go play in the first-grade team.
“After I got cut from getting selected for the Toyota Cup, I just didn’t know what to do. Instead of me going trialing for other clubs, I just thought that was it for me.”
At the time, it was a massive blow for Fitikefu.
Rugby league was all he’d ever known, but with hindsight, he can see that getting cut allowed him to start paving a new path.
And without the harsh realization that life as a pro rugby player was unlikely, he might never have made the switch to MMA:
“It was pretty hard [to take]. When you’re growing up as a kid, all you think about is being a rugby league player because that’s all you’re around. All your mates play rugby league, and you look up to rugby league players.
“Then when you get told that you didn’t get selected this year, it’s like a punch in the face. But I believe everything happens for a reason. If I got selected, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now.
“It was time to switch it up. I’ve always wanted to be in combat sports from when I was a kid. I grew a pair of nuts, and I finally did it.”
Taking Physical And Mental Satisfaction From MMA
Isi Fitikefu loved – and still loves – the sport of rugby, but he now understands that martial arts gives him something deeper.
While it wasn’t his first choice, moving his focus to a career in MMA has offered him new challenges that have brought out his best attributes.
Fitikefu explained:
“I think I needed to take this path, not just to be a sportsperson, but also to be a better person as well. I feel like this journey has taken me to some places where I had to find myself.
“I’m happy where I am now, mentally and physically. It’s not just being an elite athlete, but I feel like martial arts has changed my mind, my mentality, and my perspective on life. Like, learning to back yourself and not quit.
“It has taught me to face adversity and have perseverance. When I was playing rugby league I understood it, but I didn’t really understand it until it got put on me. When your life actually depends on it. When you’re getting punched in the face, then it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s real!’”
These days, “Doxz” still manages to get his rugby fix and the camaraderie of a team sport by utilizing his newfound skills.
The 31-year-old coaches at Canterbury Bulldogs, bringing his experience of the game to implement grappling and wrestling sessions for the hulking athletes of the NRL:
“I always wanted to be around the sport still, even though I stopped playing. I’ve been blessed and lucky that I’ve been surrounded by good people who have the connections, like my coach, Alex Prates.
“We don’t show any MMA stuff – just simple tackle techniques, good posture, and just like simple lifting techniques to keep them on the ground. You don’t want to overdo it. At the end of the day, they’re not fighters or wrestlers or grapplers there, they’re footy players, so you can’t make it too complicated for them.”
