Pay-per-view events, big paydays and title fights are what UFC fans regularly see from some of the world’s toughest athletes.
What they don’t always see is the long, winding road filled with peaks and valleys to get to even the sport’s biggest promotion.
Kaan Ofley celebrates his victory at UFC 325 earlier this year. Getty
For unknown Australian featherweight Kaan Ofley, his journey to the top of the sport has been a long one.
Ofley began training in martial arts as a teenager after being encouraged to do so by his father, but after a personal tragedy, the sport quickly became his outlet. Getting into the UFC was never his original plan.
“I didn’t know what I was doing with my life – I was a lost boy with no direction, playing this sport and training as an outlet for the adversity in my life,” he told nine.com.au this week ahead of his fight against Javier Rayas at UFC Fight Night in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“My father introduced me to martial arts when I was a teenager. I was not interested in football and tried many other sports.
“When I was 16 years old, there was a bit of adversity in my life when my father died and we were going through some difficulties. I found myself at a crossroads: either join the army or take up the sport professionally on a full-time basis.
“I had a bit of a survival mindset and martial arts was a great outlet and I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for the sport.”
Over time, the 33-year-old began to make a name for himself on the local scene, winning gold in Australia’s premier promotion Hex Fight Series.
But when asked what made his mindset change from being a big fish in a small pond to chasing a dream abroad, Ofley had one person to thank.
“It wasn’t until I met my wife that I changed my mindset and having that goal and dream of competing in the UFC has played a big role in my career,” he said.
While every win on Australian soil saw him rise to the occasion, Ofley still faced his fair share of setbacks before a golden opportunity landed at his feet two years ago in the form of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show that sees some of the best unsigned talent from around the world compete in a tournament to earn a UFC contract.
He was initially against the idea, but Ofley’s wife had other plans.
“I believed I was ready to sign with the UFC, but the opportunity wasn’t there, and that’s when The Ultimate Fighter audition happened,” he said.
“Mate, I didn’t mean to do this. I had already gotten a couple of “no’s” in my life and didn’t want to enter the competition just to get another “no”.
Kaan Ofley during his time on The Ultimate Fighter. Getty
“It was my wife who applied after talking back and forth with her. She told me, ‘Listen, if you have to do a TV show to get in, this is your way to do it,’ and she applied it behind my back on the last day of applications.”
“They literally called me the next day and said they were very interested in me being on the show, and that was the little break I needed.
“As soon as I got to Las Vegas, I knew this was my chance to get into the UFC and make this dream come true. I’m grateful and proud of myself.”
Ofley described it as the “best experience of his life” and believes it forced him to “take it to the next level” as a fighter, but don’t confuse it with MAFS or Love Island.
“That’s definitely not true,” he laughed.
“It was probably the best experience I’ve had in my entire life. Having no contact with the outside world and being locked in a house with 14 other fighters… it was crazy.”
“It definitely lifted me up. There were so many variables in the house but I could stay locked up while other people were there to be the center of attention. I could see they were trying to be a little special, I know reality TV has an element of that because it’s entertainment, but my goal was to win and beat these guys.”
“It’s a very cool experience and The Ultimate Fighter actually saved the UFC because for fans who don’t know, when the UFC started, it didn’t really attract people and it was actually the reality show that brought it to life.
“Being part of a season of the show was really great.”
Kaan Ofley reacts to winning The Ultimate Fighter 32. Getty
Although he didn’t become the overall winner, losing to Myron Santos in the finals, Ofley still did enough to impress UFC officials and was soon offered a deal.
He quickly learned that getting into the UFC was one thing, but winning there was another, suffering back-to-back losses after joining the company.
“My first UFC fight was my first loss in eight years and it was a tough blow,” he said.
Now riding a two-fight winning streak after defeating Ricardo Ramos last October and a unanimous decision win over Izha on home soil at UFC 325 in Sydney earlier this year, Ofley (13-4-1) is looking for a hat trick against Reyes.
Ofley believes he has entered the “prime of his career” and is confident a win over Reyes will propel him even higher in the UFC’s 145-pound rankings, which is currently topped by Alexander Volkanovski with the featherweight title.
He called Volkanovski an “inspiration” after he rose through the local ranks at the same time before the two-time UFC champion became a global phenomenon.
“Earlier, when we got home, I was like, ‘Man, this guy is a beast, I might have to fight him one day,’” Ofley said.
“Just watching him come into the UFC and do what he does, I obviously took a lot of inspiration from him. We trained together three or four times and I respect Wolf as a father, as a fighter and as a role model… he’s a legend.”
With every victory along the way, Ofley fights not only for himself and his wife, who helped him get into the UFC, but also for the new member of his family.
“I have a nine-month-old baby at home, and if I’m not competing or training, I’m with him,” he said.
“The balance is a little tricky, having a baby definitely makes it harder, but it’s worth it. It brings me so much joy in everyday life, I love being a dad and now I have a new motivation and purpose.”
“Of course, I play this sport for myself, but now that he is in my life, I want to do everything possible to give him a better life than the one I had.”
Kaan Ofley shared a photo of himself with his young son on social media. Instagram/@genghiskaanofli
Ofley’s fight with Reyes is scheduled for Saturday night AEST and the submission specialist believes his opponent’s temper will work to his advantage.
“He’s an experienced fighter, but he’s Colombian and he has a Colombian mindset. His blood boils, he loves fights and chaos,” Ofley said.
“I’m not going to give him what he wants. I think I’m the best all-around fighter.
“This weekend’s forecast: Javier Reyes will choose his own destiny – he will choose how he wants to go.”