UFC veteran Kyle Noke excited by growth of Aussie MMA

When the UFC confirmed earlier in the week that The Ultimate Fighter would be coming to Australia this fall, one of the first names that sprung to mind for many as a potential coach for the Australian side was Kyle Noke.

The man from Dubbo in New South Wales is a veteran of more than 25 fights, having competed domestically for XFC, Warriors Realm, and CFC prior to earning his way into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter himself.

With his experience as a member of Team Liddell during Season 11 of the long-running reality TV competition, the 32-year-old middleweight would certainly have first-hand insights to share with the Aussie hopefuls, and he’s hopeful that he gets the opportunity to do just that later this year.

“I would love to be a part of it,” said Noke, speaking with The Roar last week from Albuquerque, New Mexico where he trains with Team Jackson-Winkeljohn.

“I think that I’m in touch with the people that are back home in Australia right now — the young fighters that are coming through — so I’d love to be a part of it.

“It’s going to be a huge opportunity for guys to get their shot at a big show. I think for Australian fighters now, if someone like the UFC or any company in America was to fly someone over from Australia, it’s a long flight and a lot of money, so a lot of Australians don’t get the opportunity.

“Like myself, I had to pay my way over here to start off with, and a lot of fighters have to do that just to get a shot here in a bigger show.”

Over the last two years and change, the UFC has made three trips to Australia, twice bringing pay-per-view events (UFC 110 and 127), while most recently delivering a televised fight card from Sydney this past March.

While the sport has been around domestically long before the UFC started making annual visits, the arrival of the biggest organisation in the business has led to an upswell of interest in the sport, something Noke believes will only continue to grow in the coming months and years.

“I think it’s great for the MMA scene in Australia. The sport’s getting bigger and bigger around the world, and Australia’s no different from any other country — they love it.

“The fact that the UFC goes there,” continued Noke, who has put together a 19-6-1 record over the course of his 11-year career. “It’s funny because Australia is right out of the way for everyone — people tend to forget about it sometimes — but we’re lucky enough that the UFC has been there three times now, and are talking about going back some more.

“The sport has really grown, and there’s a lot of really great fighters coming out of there now. People that wouldn’t be able to see the sport, they watch it now. There’s a lot of great athletes coming out (of Australia now in part) because the UFC has been going there.”

While young fighters in North America or Brazil have always seen themselves represented inside the Octagon and believed competing in the UFC was a real possibility for them, the same hasn’t always been true for emerging Australian talents. Until recently, only a very limited number of Australian fighters had competed in the UFC, making it hard for a up-and-comers to envision themselves making it to the biggest stage in the sport.

That has changed in recent years as Noke, George Sotiropoulos, and Anthony Perosh have been able to have success, and the former XFC Middleweight Champion hopes that he’s able to help pave the way for the next generation to chase their dreams in the future.

“I think it’s great for Australian athletes to have someone win the title or get up into the top ten — it would give a lot of young kids there the realization that they can follow their dreams too, and not just compete on that level, but compete at the very top and possibly win a title. It’s great for the young kids to have someone to look up to like that.

“Chris Haseman was an early guy — he fought in the UFC as well, and all around the world,” continued Noke.

“He was a guy I looked up to a lot. Those guys paved the way for us, the second generation, to come through, and hopefully I can do the same thing, and make a big impact to help young Australian fighters come through as well.”

Unfortunately, it will still be a while before young Australian fighter (and fight fans everywhere) will see Noke back in the Octagon.

After a strong first round in his March meeting with newcomer Andrew Craig, Noke faded in the second and third, losing a unanimous decision to the unbeaten Texan. It was later discovered that the Ultimate Fighter alum injured his knee in the contest, and would be sidelined indefinitely.

“It feels better. It ended up being a Grade 1 sprain across the knee, and also a bruised bone,” explained Noke.

“It’s taken a while to heal — it’s taken a bit longer than normal — but it’s slowly getting there; it’s a slow process. I’m slowly rehabbing it. These last few weeks I’ve started boxing, and I started kickboxing again, so hopefully within the next week I’ll start doing jiu-jitsu again.

“They haven’t given me a time frame yet. Basically, the doctor has said that when I’m comfortable twisting on it — when it gets the full strength back in it — that’s when I can start doing full training, jiu-jitsu, and stuff like that. I don’t want to rush it.

“I hate being on the sidelines watching, especially after a loss; I want to get back in there and start working even harder to win. I’m still (at Jackson’s) every morning watching the guys, working to strengthen my knee, but it’s very hard.”

While it might still be a while before we see Noke back in the cage, he’s throwing his hat in the ring to be a coach on “The Smashes.” Whether he gets the position or not, the veteran remains excited to see the show coming to his homeland, and optimistic about what it means for the future of MMA in Australia.

“Every time I go home, the fans are getting more and more educated, and the public is getting more and more educated. I think that’s a huge part of the UFC coming to Australia; it’s really growing there, and I think with The Ultimate Fighter going to Australia, it’s just going to (continue to) blow up.”

UFC ANNOUNCES THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER AUSTRALIA VS UK – ‘THE SMASHES’ TV SERIES

UFC ANNOUNCES THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER AUSTRALIA VS UK – ‘THE SMASHES’ TV SERIES

AUSTRALIA TO TAKE ON THE UNITED KINGDOM IN THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL EDITION OF THE UFC’s REALITY TV PROGRAM

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN TO PROSPECTIVE FIGHTERS

Sydney, Australia – London, UK – The Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed it will film an Australian edition of its hit reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter (‘TUF’), giving Aussie and British mixed martial artists the opportunity to secure a lucrative contract with the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.

Registration is now open to all aspiring UFC fighters from Australia and the UK. Prospective competitors should visit www.au.ufc.com/TUFForm (Aus) for registration forms, rules and qualification criteria. The live tryouts, scheduled for June 12 in Sydney, will be open to fighters ranging in weight from 61kg to 77kg. Participants must be between 21 and 35 years of age and have had at least three verified professional fights (having won two).

The Australian series, dubbed The Smashes – a play on the 130 year-old cricket rivalry, will see undiscovered professional MMA fighters from Australia and the United Kingdom live together in The Ultimate Fighter House in Australia and compete against each other for a prized UFC contract. This is only the second time in TUF’s seven-year history that teams will represent their country of origin, the first taking place in 2009, during the ninth series, as Team USA took on Team UK.

“Australia and the UK have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC’s Octagon,” said Marshall Zelaznik, UFC’s Managing Director of International Development. “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. We’re going to discover the UFC’s future stars, you can bet on it.”

The Smashes marks the second international edition of The Ultimate Fighter® franchise. The first, currently airing in Brazil, brought in record viewership numbers, recording 12 million viewers for the Premiere episode and attesting to the successful global expansion of the series. With its continued worldwide success, the UFC hopes to one day host several tournaments in different countries, crowning one unanimous winner across an international format.

The series, The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, is the longest running and most successful sports reality shows in the United States, and has been a springboard for some of the UFC’s most renowned fighters. Two of Australia’s best UFC talents, George Sotiropoulos and Kyle Noke, broke into the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter. Geelong’s George Sotiropoulos was featured in Season 6, eventually making the semifinals, while Dubbo’s Kyle Noke made it through to the quarterfinals in season 11.

Two of Britain’s finest athletes also entered the UFC by winning The Ultimate Fighter. Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, one of the UFC’s best and most recognized fighters, won Season 3 in 2006 under the training of UFC legend Tito Ortiz. Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson then followed by winning Season 9 in 2009, when the United States met a team from the United Kingdom. His coach was none other than fellow countryman, Bisping, who built a 6-1 record during his first stint as a mentor. Bisping once again took on a role as coach in season 14, becoming the first fighter to make three appearances on the series.

The show exploded the UFC’s popularity amongst American audiences. The first season, featuring UFC original legends Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture as coaches, included famed UFC names such as Forrest Griffin (light heavyweight winner), Josh Koscheck, Stephan Bonnar and Kenny Florian. The first finale, which took place on April 9, 2005, featured the iconic three-round battle between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin, and is remembered as one of the most important and famous bouts in UFC history.

UFC on FX 2 results: Andrew Craig remains unbeaten, tops Kyle Noke via decision

SYDNEY – Andrew Craig proved ready for a step up in competition.

Despite turning pro fewer than two years ago, Craig capitalized on a late-replacement booking and scored a come-from-behind unanimous-decision victory over fellow middleweight Kyle Noke in his promotional debut.

The preliminary-card bout was part of tonight's UFC on FX 2 event at Sydney's Allphones Arena. It aired on FUEL TV prior to the night's FX-televised main card.

Noke, an Australian, was the clear fan favorite, but the night belonged to Craig, who replaced injured Jared Hamman six weeks ago.

Noke surprisingly shot early on the jiu-jitsu ace, and Craig had to escape a rear-naked-choke attempt. He then ate some big forearm strikes. Noke continued the assault and delivered punches from the top before Craig got back to his feet, where the round closed out with some evenly matched striking.

Craig got the better of the stand up in the second round, and he then fought off Noke's single-leg takedown attempt and took top position to deliver some ground and pound. Craig eventually let Noke stand but then dropped him as the Aussie moved in. Craig closed out the round with some additional ground and pound to tie up the fight, a round apiece. 

Craig's striking was sharper in the third, and he initially fought off takedown attempts and made his opponent pay for them. Noke got a brief trip-takedown, but Craig quickly returned to his feet. Craig then shot and scored with a power double-leg takedown from across the cage, pushed Noke into the cage, and delivered some punches while stacking him. Craig then avoided submissions and closed out the fight with ground and pound for the come-from-behind win.

All three judges scored it 29-28 in his favor.

"It's Texas Independence Day, and that's three Texans who have won tonight," the Legacy Fighting Championships vet said. "It was a lot of fun. I love every aspect of this organization. Everything is top notch. I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity."

Craig (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) remains undefeated with his biggest win yet. Noke (19-6-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 11" who had opened his UFC career with three straight wins, now has lost two straight.

Dana White Tweets after Noke loss at UFC on FX 2

Kyle Noke is tough as hell!!! Blew his knee out in 1st round and went 3 full rounds

— Dana White (@danawhite) March 3, 2012

Kyle Noke talks Andrew Craig and fighting in Australia at the UFC on FX 2 media workouts