How NZ promotion's UFC deal can continue MMA growth

By Christopher Reive

Shuriken MMA head coach Jason Vorster is hopeful a breakthrough deal with the UFC’s streaming platform will help to build on the growth of mixed martial arts in New Zealand.

Vorster’s Shuriken Fight Series will be the first New Zealand promotion to be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass when it makes its platform debut on Saturday night, opening the local talent up to a worldwide audience.

Speaking to the Herald, Vorster said it was another important step in providing opportunities for the country’s mixed martial artists.

“UFC Fight Pass is the top of the food chain so everyone’s trying to get onto that. It’s good for New Zealand, good for [the fighters]. It’s good for everyone, and it’s nice that UFC gets to see talent coming out of New Zealand,” Vorster said.

“They’ve got scouts watching UFC Fight Pass and we’ve got a lot of prospects coming out of New Zealand, so I think it’s going to be good for everyone.”

It has been a deal years in the making. Vorster has been running shows in New Zealand for more than a decade, providing a platform for the top local talents to hone their craft. Saturday night’s card at Eventfinda Stadium will continue that trend with UFC Fight Pass streaming the eight-fight main card, while the prelims will be streamed by Combat Sports Network.

“It doesn’t just culminate from one meeting. It’s taken a bit of time and through a good friend of mine Peter Kloczko, he’s part of the UFC and has been punting for SFS over the last couple of years, trying to get them on for us. It culminated a few months ago and now it’s the first one for New Zealand which is very exciting,” Vorster said.

“Now with the UFC platform, I think it’s just going to enhance New Zealand as a whole and fighters from New Zealand and hopefully put us on the world stage. They love the Kiwis; we all just love stand-up.

“Look at Carlos Ulberg, Kai Kara-France, Dan Hooker, Israel Adesanya, they don’t all go to wrestle – they just want to stand and punch people which is always exciting to watch with regards to MMA; no one wants to see 25 minutes of rolling around on the floor. So, they do love the Kiwis in that respect, and I think it’s good for the smaller gyms and fighters coming out of there.”

MMA has been on the rise in New Zealand over the last 10 years, with the likes of Adesanya, Hooker, Kara-France and Ulberg having success in the UFC – the highest level of the sport – playing a role in that.

“It’s grown exponentially,” Vorster said.

“It’s very mainstream in New Zealand obviously due to guys like Israel and that’s really helped, and it’s just grown everywhere. The gyms are busy. Our gym is busy, I know City Kickboxing [CKB] is very busy, Oliver MMA, Auckland MMA, all the gyms. They’re all pretty busy, it’s crazy. Maybe everybody just wants to learn to fight, first of all. It’s on a bit of an up at the moment – touch wood – which is lucky for the gyms and the shows. There are a lot of shows in NZ and it’s a good time for MMA at the moment and we’re riding that wave.”

As it stands, every athlete currently signed by the UFC who trains in New Zealand does so at Auckland’s CKB, and the gym has attracted fighters from around New Zealand and other parts of the world who are looking to develop their skills with the hope of breaking on to the big stage as well – including heavyweight Brando Pericic, who moved to Auckland from Australia to join CKB and will headline Saturday night’s card. The last Kiwi fighter signed by the UFC from outside of City Kickboxing was Luke Jumeau from Core MMA in Hamilton, who fought four times in the UFC between 2017 and 2019.

Vorster said that had been great for the sport in New Zealand, but the chance to appear on UFC Fight Pass might open other opportunities for fighters too.

“Without bringing up CKB again, a lot of the guys do go there because that’s a bit of a feeder in the UFC and that’s great. They’re doing a great job, they’re really helping New Zealand and helping the shows, but not all the guys want to leave their gym, so maybe this will help them get looked at,” Vorster said.

“We have a lot of great talent. I think Zack Bennett out of Oliver MMA is very good and think he’ll go far; Matt Vaile out of Core MMA is one of the top fighters in New Zealand who is maybe a bit overlooked.

“In that respect, it’s going to hopefully help those other guys and open up opportunities for them maybe without leaving the gym and going somewhere else.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission