Greek Australian fighter Alexander Poniris is gearing up for a huge 2025 and looking to ignite his Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) career, starting with an upcoming match next month as he builds the foundation towards his ultimate dream: getting into the UFC.
Poniris, who works as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach at SJJA Gladesville, took a big leap in his career last year when he featured in his first professional outing (losing by technical knockout to Alastair Volders).
The 26-year-old went into that bout with lots of amateur fighting experience under his belt, having a 6-2 record in MMA, a 1-0 record in Muay Thai along with over 50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu matches.
The Sydneysider is now aiming to go a step further and win his first professional fight in his debut appearance with Australia’s largest MMA organisation, Eternal, facing Mayson Nobetsu at the Eternal 92 event on February 8.
Poniris views the upcoming fight as the beginning of what he hopes to be a fruitful year.
“With a busy 2025 planned I will make some noise and then get my shot at the Eternal featherweight championship belt,” the fighter with roots from Lipso, Skopelos and Tripoli told Neos Kosmos.
He does not take the opportunity lightly, acknowledging Eternal as the best path for Australian fighters to get into the UFC.
The premier MMA promotion is what inspired him to take up Jiu Jitsu in 2017, adding to his Taekwondo experience which he began learning at the age of 12.
“I was competing in Taekwondo for 12-13 years, nationally and internationally,” said Poniris, who is a two-time national champion and six-time state champion that also represented Australia at the Korea Open in 2017.
“When I started jiu-jitsu, I fell in love with it straight away. It was something new and completely different to Taekwondo.”
The Greek Australian, now a third dan black belt in Taekwondo and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is looking to maximise on the years of training and discipline he has put into MMA.
He explained that he committed to fighting after eight years of training alongside his main job as a carpenter, eventually being inspired by his coach to take the leap.
“One day my Jiu-Jitsu coach said, ‘leave your job and come and work for me in the gym teaching kids and you can train all day and chase your dream of becoming UFC champion’.”
Poniris has been a full-time Jiu-Jitsu coach for three years now, teaching kids and adults in the afternoon along with his own training that he conducts in the other parts of the day.
“I absolutely love the life I have created and get to live every day,” he said.
“I live and breathe martial arts every day, I teach what I am passionate about as a job. I have a team with me who are incredible and believe in me and I could not do what I do without them.”
Poniris remarked that he has gone through many highs and lows already and remains excited in his pursuit of his UFC dream.
“I have made so many great memories and had amazing experiences already this early in my career and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
