Brando Peričić took his first steps towards something greater in the shed of his grandma’s Adelaide home.
In a bid to improve his life and test himself, Peričić began to dabble in combat sports. The young Australian wanted to see what he was capable of and, after joining a small gym called Rikers, he soon found out.
A lot has changed in the six years since.
At 31, Peričić is now based in Auckland. He is also among the newest members of the UFC heavyweight roster; the first South Australian to be signed by the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion and set to make his debut on home soil in Perth this week.
Without wanting to go into detail on the aspects of his life he wanted to improve when he started the sport, Peričić says he’s now where he belongs.
“It was destiny. I truly believe that.”
Early in his career, Peričić developed a reputation for his explosive striking style in the ring. However, he knew that to get to the top level in mixed martial arts, he would have to do more than just the stand-up element.
While he was training in wrestling and jiu-jitsu back at home, a chance sparring session at Auckland’s City Kickboxing gym in 2022 opened him up to a whole new world.
It came after Peričić jumped at an opportunity to compete in an eight-man elimination tournament on King in the Ring, New Zealand’s premier kickboxing show. He won his first-round fight by stoppage, before being stopped by eventual winner David Tuitupou.
“I beat the winner a few months prior and I came back and I tried to fight him again. I didn’t train,” he laughs.
“I learnt a lot of lessons; that I’m not top shit and I have to train, you know what I mean? I just knew I had talent and that I had to work hard.”
Things might not have gone his way that night, but the next day he made the trip to City Kickboxing’s gym in Mt Eden to take the opportunity to get some work in with some of the country’s UFC stars, something his coaches had suggested he do while in town.
It was a sparring day at the gym, and Peričić found himself getting rounds in with Israel Adesanya – one of the biggest names in the sport – who would later ask Peričić to help him prepare for his UFC title rematch against long-time rival Alex Pereira.
“Izzy definitely put some belief into me because I just lost a fight. I wasn’t in the best headspace, I guess, but I came to the gym, faced my fears and did some rounds with Izzy.
“He was very encouraging, and for him to invite me over for a camp, I was like, I must be okay then. He’s been a massive influence in my career.”
But that first session almost didn’t happen.
Reflecting on Peričić’s first moments in the gym, City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman says he initially told the Australian he wasn’t going to let him spar with his team.
“I don’t think I knew the bloke. He just came in and introduced himself,” Bareman says.
“I said not to spar, because you shouldn’t be sparring the day after – I think he lost by TKO, so you definitely shouldn’t be sparring. I don’t know how he convinced me but he was like ‘mate, I’ve got to spar with these guys. It’s my only opportunity. I might not get it again. Please let me spar.’
“So I let him spar and he showed right from then that he’s got some pretty exceptional talent.”
Since making the move across the Tasman in late 2022, Peričić has been a regular presence at the now-Morningside-based gym.
At 196cm, the man nicknamed the Balkan Bear - a moniker combining his Croatian ancestry and his size - is hard to miss within the walls of the gym. If you don’t see him, you’ll certainly hear his booming laugh before too long.
Such is Peričić’s personality; he’s a happy character, has a smile for everyone, and doesn’t take himself too seriously.
When the gloves go on, however, it’s a very different story.
“I like to knock people out. Don’t let the smile fool people. I’m a happy guy, but when it’s time to fight, I switch on.”
The South Australian joins the UFC with a modest 4-1 professional MMA record; three wins by knockout and one by submission. Fights on the local scene have not always been easy to come by. After making his debut in 2019, Peričić didn’t have another bout until actually go ahead until early in 2024.
That seemed to be a turning point, as he was able to compete four times last year for a 3-1 record and do enough to draw the attention of the UFC’s matchmakers.
“Brando can, I believe, become a UFC champion,” Bareman says.
“He has all the physical attributes and more that it takes to become a UFC champion. I think he’ll be one of the most athletic men in that division.
“For Brando, it’s all about his emotional and spiritual side. He’s the kind of guy that wears his heart on his sleeve and puts himself out there.
“It’s just about controlling the emotional and the spiritual side of his being. If he can get that funnelled towards the goals that we want to achieve, then the world is his oyster.
“He can achieve great things, I believe.”
Peričić was signed on to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series, a show where top prospects from around the world go head-to-head for the chance at a UFC contract, against American Elisha Ellison last month.
It was the same pathway as that taken by fellow City Kickboxing fighters Carlos Ulberg and Navajo Stirling, who also signed on for DWCS bouts with only a few MMA fights to their names, but took their opportunities and are now established UFC athletes.
Stirling will make his third UFC appearance in Perth after winning his first two, while Ulberg – ranked at No 3 in the light heavyweight division – will headline the card looking to stake his claim to a title shot.
But two weeks out from that scheduled fight, Peričić got a call from Bareman and his manager, Ash Belcastro. Having had bookings fall through before, he got an all-too-familiar feeling.
Instead, it was the news that the booking had been elevated, and both he and Ellison were now in the UFC.
“There were a lot of emotions. I wasn’t an optimist, that’s for sure,” he grins.
“They had me going, so I’m glad that it was some good news at the end of it because I wasn’t, I wasn’t very happy.”
Now part of the roster with the world’s top promotion, finding opponents and opportunities that will come to fruition should no longer be a problem for the Balkan Bear.
“Oh mate, it’s amazing. You don’t understand. Like, that’s the biggest struggle. Well, that has been the biggest struggle for me.
“I need that experience, but also trying to find your own fights to come up with money to pay people, I don’t have to worry about that now. I can just be a professional fighter and train and fight. I love it. It’s great.”
And at a time where the UFC have been cutting heavyweight athletes who fail to produce exciting fights, Peričić has a message of reassurance for his new employer.
“That won’t be a problem for me, mate. I always go for the knockout.”
RAC Arena. Sunday, September 28.
Light heavyweight main event: Carlos Ulberg (3) v Dominick Reyes (8)
Heavyweight: Brando Peričić v Elisha Ellison
Light heavyweight: Navajo Stirling v Rodolfo Bellato
Middleweight: Cameron Rowston v Andre Petroski
Bantamweight: Michelle Montague v Luana Carolina
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa v Louie Sutherland
Lightweight: Tom Nolan v Charlie Campbell
Light heavyweight: Jimmy Crute v Ivan Erslan
Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee (14) v Alexia Thainara
Welterweight: Jake Matthews v Neil Magny
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins v Ramon Taveras
Welterweight: Jonathan Micallef v Oban Elliott
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse v Josias Musasa
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey v Rolando Bedoya
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.