After five years in the amateur MMA scene, Tasar Malone will make the jump to professional mixed martial arts at Eternal 74 in his hometown on the Gold Cost this Saturday.
Malone holds an amateur record of 6-4, with all six wins coming via stoppage, with a perfect split of three submissions and three KO/TKOs.
Malone said this split between submissions and KOs exemplifies his approach to fighting.
‘I’ve always wanted to be well rounded…be comfortable wherever it goes. Whether its on the feet, whether its wrestling, whether its on the ground. Just to have tools and answers in all of those areas.’ Malone said.
For Malone, the move to pro MMA represents the achieving of a dream he has had since he was a child.
‘This has been a dream of mine since I was five years old. To make a career out of a sport…I was at a point where I felt I was ready to achieve that dream and set the next one.’
The Malone family is no stranger to high level athletes, as Tasar’s sister Ambrosia Malone is an Olympic hockey player who represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Having an Olympian in the family has been a benefit to his training, Tasar said.
‘We’re always, in a good way, stirring each other. Pushing each other to work harder. If one of us is slacking off we’ll get into the other ones ear and say “Come on. Put the shoes on let’s go running.” And stuff like that. A good little healthy competition, I love her to bits.’
Malone’s last amateur fight saw him win via rear naked choke in the second round. When entering the cage for that bout, rather than enter through the door, Tasar scaled the side of the cage and climbed in over the fence, a decision he said felt natural to make in the moment.
‘I come from the bush, I’m very much a nature man. I love climbing things, I love exploring, being different…Most people, or all people, walk through the cage doors and enter the cage like that. I was like “Hey, I’m Tasar, I’m gonna climb the cage and enter it like that.” I didn’t really think about it much, I just did it instinctively.”
The preparation needed for a pro bout as compared to an amateur has not been lost on the Gold Coast local, however the new challenges it presents have been a welcome change.
‘The intensity has risen. You get to unlock things like elbows which is something I’ve been hanging for…you have so many different tools to use. I felt in the amateurs that one of my tools was in the toolbox that I wasn’t allowed to use yet.’
‘I’m super excited for this next step in my career. [I’m] looking forward to Saturday…Once we get there, all the fun begins.’
Tasar Malone will make his debut at Eternal 74 on Saturday March 18th, broadcast live at 9pm AEST on the UFC FightPass.
