His nickname of \u2018BeyBlade\u2019 after the popular anime from the 2000s in which spinning tops are used for battles suggests his is a style to win over fans; with plenty of unpredictable, spinning strikes in his arsenal. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think if I wasn\u2019t fighting, I\u2019d probably be doing acting or something. I was the kid in school doing the school plays and doing the talent quests and stuff,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just think this is the perfect platform for me just to put on a show for people and entertain them. So, it worked out well.\u201d <\/p>\n
But it was the Core MMA lightweight\u2019s complete skill set that earned him the biggest win of his young professional career this month when he claimed a submission win on the One Championship Friday Night Fights series in Thailand. <\/p>\n
One of the biggest stages in combat sports, One Championship\u2019s Friday Night Fights series is becoming an alluring pathway for budding young Kiwi fighters. Fellow Waikato athlete Titus Proctor and Auckland MMA\u2019s Viet Anh Do have both had successful appearances under the same banner over the last year, while Kings Academy\u2019s Arshia Ebadi had also lined up a bout in the series in January but it ultimately fell through. <\/p>\n
For Brockett, it capped off a big 12 months in which he made his professional debut, subsequently building a 3-0 record, and cornering US-based Michelle Montague, New Zealand\u2019s first female UFC fighter and Brockett\u2019s Core MMA stablemate, in her debut on the biggest stage in MMA. <\/p>\n
Speaking to the Herald leading up to that bout in September \u2013 which she won by unanimous decision \u2013 Montague credited Brockett\u2019s fight IQ and the way he saw the sport. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat experience kind of lit a fire in me almost because I\u2019m like, \u2018this is what you\u2019ve got to look forward to,\u2019\u201d Brockett said. <\/p>\n
Ethan Brockett (left) cornered Michelle Montague in her successful UFC debut last year alongside Core MMA head coach Carlo Meister (right). Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you put the work in, these are like the rewards you get. I\u2019m really thankful that she brought me along to that.\u201d <\/p>\n
As for his goals in the sport, Brockett has set his goals high. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look across MMA and the landscape, I think there\u2019s like a lack of stars,\u201d Brockett says. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I want to be the biggest star in MMA. I don\u2019t care what promotion that\u2019s in, whether it\u2019s One Championship or UFC, I want to become a household name and I want to entertain as many people as possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy ultimate goal would be pound for pound number one. When I sat down with Carlo [Meister, Core MMA coach] a few years back and we said what\u2019s like the end game, I told him that and he was like, \u2018all right, I think you can do it.\u2019 <\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s probably the main thing, but yeah, I\u2019m not too fussed on what promotion I end up in. As long as I can put on entertaining fights and get my name out there, I\u2019m happy.\u201d <\/p>\n