Get to know prospect, Marwan Rahiki

First of all, what got you into MMA? What inspired you to start training in MMA?

I started training kickboxing when I was 14 (in 2016) and started BJJ in 2021. I had a few amateur kickboxing fights and I wasn’t feeling like it was enough of a challenge. In kickboxing there are a lot of early stoppages before a fight is over, and not many KOs. I saw some videos of UFC fights and liked how if you are good enough you can finish the fight by KO or submission. When I started BJJ, I started understanding the ground game more and when I started MMA sparring I thought it was more fun; you have more tools to use in a fight and more fight time in the cage. That is why I changed my focus from kickboxing to MMA, and because of the UFC, I knew there was a pathway for me to make an actual career out of this.

Is there a fighter that inspired you at one point in your life or still does?

I already was a fan of MMA, but when I saw Conor McGregor and his success in the UFC, it was very inspiring to see that you can have a career in MMA and make money and be successful and take care of your family; but I’m not a fan of his anymore.

Can you explain your nationality like where you were born and where you're living?

I was born in Rabat (the capital of Morocco) and lived with my parents for nineteen years until I came to Australia and have been living in Sydney ever since.

Do you have any experience in any other combat sports?

I did kickboxing competitions and BJJ comps before competing in MMA. I only had my amateur MMA debut in 2023.

What was the biggest takeaway from your amateur career?

My amateur MMA career taught me that you have to respect the fighting a lot. You can’t just make mistakes and can’t be lazy or cocky in the fight, you have to be 100% focused at all times. I’m 3-0 in my pro career and it's because I take this sport very seriously; I am a more mature fighter.

You have one career loss. What do you remember from that and what did you learn?

I lost my last amateur MMA fight, it was the semi-final at GAMMA against a strong wrestler. He just kept taking me down, holding me down, and I wasn’t able to push that little bit more to get up, and they were shorter 2-minute rounds. From that experience, I now know that if someone takes me down, I need to scramble and get back up. Now I know that if I fight a wrestler, I don’t stay on the ground. In my last few fights, I fought strong wrestlers and made sure to always get back up quickly if they took me down.

Could you list your accomplishment(s)?

I won the Oceania K1 Championship in 2022, just a few weeks after arriving in Australia.

Since you've been fighting what has been some of the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenge I've faced is that there was no support for MMA in Morocco, there is no framework for success, you just have to do your own thing. I just believed in myself and left my immediate family and moved to Australia to keep pursuing a career in MMA.

Who do you train with and who are your main sparring partners? How did you run across the gym?

I train at Lion’s Den Academy under Luke Pezzutti and my main training partners are George Mangos, Chris Morris, Michael Stanoff, Joe Davis, and Kris Ustijanovski.

A few weeks after arriving in Sydney, I was in Fitness First sitting in the sauna and all the boys I mentioned above came walking in after training and were doing a sauna session after their walkout. I heard them talking about MMA and I started talking to Joe Davis and he showed me some photos and videos of the gym and some of their fights and explained where they trained, that they trained under Luke, and what sort of training they do there - and I joined up at Lion’s Den the week after and have been there ever since with them.

When are you looking to get back into the cage and is there a specific opponent you're looking at?

I’m booked to fight Michael Barber on Saturday, March 1st for HEX Fight Series in Melbourne. Michael called me out after his last fight on Hex, and I was grateful as I found it hard to get fights this year. Not many people wanted to sign up to fight me and two of the three fights I had this year I took on very short notice after teammates of mine had to pull out of the fights. This fight with Michael Barber will be exciting – I am looking forward to it.

Do you have a specific routine or ritual on fight day?

I wake up around 9 am and have a small walk, have a big breakfast, and then go for a longer walk and then come back and chill, maybe have a nap. I then do three rounds of shadowboxing then have a shower and head to the event.

Is there a quote or mantra that you live by as a fighter?

There is a quote I really like, it is in Arabic, but I will also translate it for you:

‎وَمَن يَتَهَيَّب صُعودَ الجِبال يَعِش أَبَدَ الدَهرِ بَيْنَ الحُفَرِ.

waman yatahayyab ṣuʿūda al-ǧibal- yaʿiš ʾabada al-dahri bayna al-ḥufari.

“He who is scared of climbing mountains lives among hills forever.”

This quote means that if you never challenge yourself, you never expand your own horizons. By never leaving your hills, you never get to discover the beauty of the mountains.

For the fans that have never watched you, what would you tell them to expect?

I'm a fighter who doesn’t want to have a boring fight and I love entertaining the fans who are watching live and at home. I haven’t had anyone complain about the way that I fight, fans are always pleased.

What makes you different from any other fighter that steps into the cage?

I only know myself, and what I do – I train hard and work hard. I live by believing that I work harder than anyone else and that gives me the advantage, that I am stronger than them and better than them. I have sacrificed by leaving my family in Morocco – that was not easy, but I believe the road to greatness is not easy – the harder things you do, the better fighter you will be.

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of MMA?

Yes, I really like swimming and also horse riding.

How has MMA changed your life outside of the cage?

MMA made me a really disciplined person. I have to be in shape, eat clean, sleep early, wake early – live a disciplined life if I want to be serious about being a professional athlete. It’s 100% mental and 100% physical and the only way to achieve this is to be very disciplined and strong mentally.

Where do you think you'd be if not for MMA?

I would surely be in the horse-riding industry, maybe playing polo or competing in equestrian jumping.

Why and who do you fight for?

I fight to have a better life than I had before for me and my family. I want to give my family a better life, and I can get that through fighting. My family is always so happy for me when I win a fight, especially my mum, she is so supportive. I fight for her and a better future for the family.