Torquay martial arts standout Max de Been is set to make his professional mixed martial arts debut this Saturday, August 22, when he steps into the cage at Eternal MMA 109 in front of a strong hometown crowd.
The bantamweight prospect will face Kotone Tada at Geelong Arena, marking the beginning of a new chapter after years of competing at an elite level in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
For de Been, making his professional debut so close to home has added an extra layer of motivation. With friends, family and supporters from Torquay and Geelong expected to fill the venue, the local fighter sees the occasion as an opportunity to put on a memorable performance.
“I think the pressure of it being a big show, being local, it’s really helped me,” de Been said on SEN Geelong’s The Run Home with Worlo & Moons.
“I’m like, okay, I’ve got to put on a good show here, because all my friends and family are going to be there.”
The Surf Coast native comes from a family deeply rooted in the local martial arts community. His father established the family’s academy in Torquay in 1993, giving de Been an early introduction to combat sports.
“I was born and raised in Torquay. My dad started the academy we have here in 1993, just behind Baines Crescent here.”
De Been has since developed an impressive Brazilian jiu-jitsu résumé, but transitioning into MMA has required him to expand his skill set beyond the grappling discipline that made him successful.
He has been splitting his training between Torquay and Absolute MMA in Collingwood, where he has been sharpening his striking and learning the demands of competing in the cage alongside experienced MMA fighters.
“I’ve always been on the upper end of jiu-jitsu, but then going there, I’m like, okay, I’ll just do what I’m told.”
Despite having hundreds of jiu-jitsu matches under his belt, de Been admits his first MMA fight will present an entirely different challenge.
“I’ve never actually fought MMA, so this will be my professional debut.”
The prospect of performing in front of such a large hometown following has also helped keep him focused throughout his training camp. De Been expects a significant contingent of supporters from across the region to be there on fight night.
“We’ve got half our high school, half Torquay, half Geelong. We’re going to have a lot of people there, so it’ll probably be loud, but it’s good.”
He even joked that the added pressure has helped him stay disciplined during the tougher moments of camp, whether dealing with fatigue or resisting the temptation of a quick treat.
“When I’m walking to training and I’m sore, or I want to eat a donut or something, like no, it’s really just zoned me in, the extra pressure.”
With years of grappling experience behind him and a new focus on developing his complete MMA game, de Been will now get his first opportunity to test himself professionally.
Eternal MMA 109 takes place at Geelong Arena on Saturday, August 22, with fellow Geelong fighter Sam Marles set to challenge for the welterweight championship in the main event.
