Swans recruiters have looked to rugby, Gaelic football, and more recently basketball to unearth talent, so it was no surprise that ears pricked up when word got out that three Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) athletes were making their way to Swans HQ this afternoon.
Swans players, and UFC enthusiasts, Rhyce Shaw, Mitch Morton and Shane Mumford were paid a special visit by fighters Cain Velasquez, Mike Pyle and Chad Mendes who are in town promoting Saturday night’s UFC Sydney event.
The international trio undertook a quick crash-course in Australian football, and while it took some time to grasp the concept of handballing and kicking a drop-punt, they showed they may just have what it takes to make the switch from the Octagon to the oval.
In torrential rain, Shaw, Morton and Mumford took the UFC fighters onto Lakeside Oval to have a kick of the Sherrin, where their mixed martial arts skills led to many fearless runs into packs, bone-jarring tackles and some trademark Swans contested footy.
Former UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who stands at 185cm and 113kg, returned the favour by taking the Swans trio through what their sport is all about. He also showed highlights of his title win over former professional wrestler, Brock Lesnar, which impressed Mumford particularly, as that is the division he’d have to participate in.
Sydney is a special place for Velasquez who proposed to his girlfriend at Bondi Beach when he was out here for a fight two years ago, and he said he was very pleased to be back visiting as a spectator this time.
“Last time I came here, the people and how mellow everyone is, it just brought back good feelings,” he told special guest interviewer, Mitch Morton.
While he puts his life on the line every time he fights, Velasquez says he has the utmost respect for how AFL players put their body through the ringer every week with repeat efforts and incredible athletic endurance.
“The stuff that we couldn’t do - like be running out there the whole time - we don’t do that in our sport. We stay still, so to be running back-and-forth is something that our bodies aren’t used to,” he said.
From left: Cain Velasquez, Mitch Morton, Mike Pyle, Rhyce Shaw, Chad Mendes and Shane Mumford
