Kiwi bantamweight Aaron Tau holds an 8-0 MMA record and is hoping for a shot in the UFC. Photo / Dean Purcell
With an 8-0 mixed martial arts record and several regional titles, Aaron Tau has his sights set on the UFC. Christopher Reive asks what it actually takes to get an opportunity with the world’s top MMA promotion.
Aaron Tau changed his life in the pursuit of a dream.
In 2018, he and his young family were living in Brisbane. Feeling the desire to return home to New Zealand, they happened upon a scholarship being offered by Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker, who was looking to take a couple of budding mixed martial artists under his wing.
Tau travelled to the intense trial, stood out, and relocated to New Zealand to commit to chasing a career in MMA. When he arrived to begin training, Tau and Hooker had a plan in which the end goal was to be signed by the UFC.
Now 8-0 in MMA with seven finishes, several titles on the local scene at both bantamweight and featherweight, and training as a full-time fighter at Auckland’s City Kickboxing (CKB), that goal is in sight.
“Aaron’s UFC ready now, we’re just waiting on the opportunity,” Hooker told the Herald.
“They know who he is. They want him. It just comes down to timing now.”
A rise in popularity in the sport has brought with it more opportunities in recent years, with the UFC putting on more than 40 fight nights in each of the last five years, as well as launching the Contender Series in 2017 – a feeder show where UFC hopefuls square off in the hope of earning a contract. Hooker said an opportunity for Tau could come in a number of ways, be it a shot on the Contender Series later in the year, a late-notice replacement fight or being called up for a local UFC card.
It’s one thing to have the credentials to put your hand up to join the world’s biggest promotion in the sport, but another to get their attention.
Eugene Bareman’s team at CKB have succeeded in cracking that algorithm over the years, however. Since the start of 2017, the promotion has signed eight New Zealand-trained fighters. Luke Jumeau, who fought to a 2-2 UFC record from 2017-19, was the only one fighting out of a different gym as he trained at Core MMA in Hamilton, and CKB’s Carlos Ulberg was the only one of the eight who had to prove himself through the Contender Series.
“Ultimately what they’re looking for is the golden egg at the very top of the food chain – Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Israel Adesanya – but they also know full well that’s the golden egg and they don’t often come through,” Bareman said.
“In the meantime, they want some very high-level fighters; top-of-the-line, good, exciting fighters that primarily can do their work in the cage. Excite people in the cage, that’s the main thing. If they can get someone that has a good personality and resonates well with a particular fan base, that’s even more endearing to them.
“Then you need a whole bunch of fighters for people like that to fight. They might not necessarily have the personality that they particularly want, but they’re very good fighters – there’s a place for them as well. There’s a place for everyone in the UFC. There’s a place for really good fighters who barely speak a word. That goes to say to young fighters out there, the more important thing is to be a great fighter and not fret about your personality and being a certain way. The best thing to be is yourself, in my opinion.”
Hooker’s view of what the UFC look for when signing a fighter was a similar one, noting while it’s beneficial if a fighter knows how to play the game with a hot mic, it wasn’t overly important in the grand scheme of things.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are on the microphone. Once you step inside the UFC, you have to be ready to fight the best fighters in the world,” Hooker said.
While stringing together an impressive resume inside the cage – with fans chanting “sign this man” after he defended the XFC bantamweight title in Brisbane late last month – Tau has also followed the pathway of several fighters around the world and launched a YouTube channel, where he provides behind-the-scenes footage in a bid to boost his profile.
“It’s just another way to get my name out there and let people know what I’m doing. The more relatable I can be, the more likely they’re going to become fans and get on the waka,” he said.
“It’s turned a lot more into the entertainment business as opposed to the fighting business, but you have to be able to entertain and back it up. You can be the best entertainer in the world, but if you can’t perform on the night it’s a waste of time.”
On Friday, Tau will be in action at Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland on the Arsenal X card against Cody Sione from South Island Lee Gar. Arsenal X bouts run for three rounds and observe different rule sets in each round - and while it isn’t a fight that will show up on Tau’s professional MMA record, he said staying busy would only work in his favour.
“It’s just another reason for them to say yes,” Tau said. “I didn’t have to take this fight, I don’t really gain anything out of it. It’s just a quick pitstop, a detour on the way to the UFC.
“It’s just another reason for them to say yes sooner or later. You can’t deny the truth.”
“It’s all risk, f*** all reward, really.”
Hooker said Tau taking the fight when it wouldn’t impact his MMA record came down to Tau’s desire to stay busy and entertain.
“This is for the fans, this is for New Zealand. It’s the last time you’re going to see this guy fight on the regional scene.”
Tau is at the forefront of what Bareman believed would be a big year of movement for the sport in New Zealand, as several rising talents join Tau on the UFC’s doorstep.
“The boys are getting ready to have a busy year – everybody in the team – and hopefully they’ll be joined by some newer faces that we’re not so familiar with this year,” he said.
“I have several guys that I believe are at a world-class level, that can jump into particular divisions and do well against anyone. When I start to have that sort of belief in someone, that’s when I know they’re ready to go into the UFC. I have a few boys here who have been developing themselves to that point, and I believe there are a few boys here now who are at that point. Now it’s the job of me and my business partners to get them that opportunity to get their foot in the door, and I believe they’ll be successful – that’s why I’m putting them forward.
“It’s a funny thing, but the gym’s moving into a real different phase to where it’s been. We’ve got some real veterans of the sport amongst us ... then we’ve got some people underneath them that are 10-plus years younger than these veterans but they’re going to be possibly in the same organisation, with a whole decade between the two.
“It’s going to be a different time in the coming year for the gym. Perhaps we’re near the tail end of some of these UFC guys’ careers, but we’re at the exciting start of some of these younger guys’ careers.”
Shane Young - 2-5 UFC record from 2017-23
Luke Jumeau - 2-2 record from 2017-19
Israel Adesanya - 2x UFC middleweight champion; 13-3 record since 2018 debut
Kai Kara-France - 7-4 record since 2018 debut; challenged for interim flyweight title in 2022
Brad Riddell - 4-3 record since 2019 debut; former top-15 ranked lightweight
Carlos Ulberg - 5-1 record since 2021 debut
Blood Diamond - 0-3 record from 2022-23
Kevin Jousset - 2-0 record since 2023 debut
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
'I’ve done a lot for myself, but I’m doing it for someone else now.'