The fighting man
From a tough upbringing in Auckland’s Polynesian community, Ray Sefo has become a Vegas-based bighitter in the world of pro fighting. By Liam Napier.
It’s a moment that stands still in time. Ray Sefo and Mark Hunt, two famed Auckland brawlers, slugging it out with Japanese fans engrossed and stunned in equal measures. At one point Hunt drops his guard completely, sticking out his chin to let Sefo unload a flurry of ferocious uncontested blows. Sefo responds by kissing Hunt on the cheek – a sign of respect for withstanding the punishment.
That occasion 15 years ago – set amid the grandeur and gladiatorial setting of the K-1 arena – put Polynesian combat fighters on the map.
Sefo is now based in Las Vegas, running his World Series of Fighting which turns four in November. But, wherever he goes, his fight with Hunt remains the stuff of legend.
‘‘It doesn’t matter if I’m in Paris, Rome, Holland, Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Brazil, that’s the first thing I’m asked about,’’ Sefo said. ‘‘It’s a fight everybody loves.
‘‘By the time Mark arrived in K-1, I was already seeded in the top-eight of world-class fighters so they knew what Polynesian fighters were capable of doing.
‘‘They knew Polynesians had this mentality of kill or be killed in the ring or the cage but they had never seen two Polynesians squaring off against each other and I think that opened their eyes and the world at large to what that meant.
‘‘The world got to see what we were capable of doing.’’
Sefo emerged from a large Samoan family – seven brothers and two sisters – based in the inner-city Auckland suburb of Kingsland. Punching had come naturally ever since his father gave him and his older brother Rony boxing gloves when Sefo turned five. He started sparring family members immediately.
But it was watching his first Bruce Lee-Jackie Chan movie, that changed the youngster’s outlook and saw Sefo fall in love with martial arts.
‘‘At a very young age I questioned why ... I just needed to punch when these guys were throwing knees, elbows and kicks. It got me curious and fascinated.’’
A second-youngest sibling, Sefo endured a difficult childhood.
‘‘My upbringing was tough – typical of many Polynesians. You get beat. Polynesian parents show you love by slapping you around, which is something I didn’t understand growing up. I knew they were teaching us discipline and I love my parents but they were stuck in that old school mentality.
‘‘Psychologically and subconsciously maybe that’s one of the reasons why I moved out of home at a young age and lived on my own most of my life.’’
Family life also led to some strict self-driven rules. Sefo was used to seeing others drink to excess – he even found his uncle passed out naked in his bedroom one Christmas – but these instances instilled a desire to stay away from vices, and an ethic to succeed.
‘‘At a very young age I decided I would never touch drugs or drink or smoke or anything that would not allow me to be in control of my surroundings. My whole life that’s been true.’’
Living in his own city apartment, Sefo lied about his age to secure a bouncing job that allowed him to train during the day, and support his independence at night.
His big break arrived after upsetting Dutch fighter Andre Mannaart during a bout in New Zealand. A couple of months later, K-1 called with an invite to travel to Japan to watch a show. Sitting ringside at the 40,000-seat Osaka Dome, Sefo was overwhelmed by the opportunity . Little did he know that would be his bread and butter, taking him all over the world for the next 15 years.
‘‘I had a tear in my eye because I couldn’t believe I was sitting there and they were interested in me. My dreams and prayers became a reality.’’
Countless professional fighters have squandered their millions, falling on the scrapheap when the bright lights faded. But Sefo seems to have bucked that trend.
After K-1 he shifted to Los Angeles, California, where he dabbled in pro wrestling and coaching for 10 years before upping sticks for the glitz of Vegas. Over the past decade in Sin City, he’s mixed the glamour of going to Pacquiao, Mayweather and Hopkins fights with family life and raising his son Ramon, six, and daughter Adiianna, nine months.
‘‘It’s all that you’d expect and more. You have a population of close to one million people in Vegas so there is family life out here also,’’ he said.
‘‘Every year a who’s-who comes to Vegas. There’s shows on here all the time: J.Lo, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are performing here now. There’s never a dull moment. The last time I heard, at least 30 million people visit Vegas every year.’’
Mixed Martial Arts is big business - the UFC sold recently for $US4 billion. Sefo’s World Series of Fighting has staged shows all over the States and just announced one for Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve.
The 45-year-old’s career came near full circle when he helped Hunt prepare for his UFC 200 showdown with Brock Lesnar in Vegas last month – a fight later tainted by the wrestling star’s positive test for performance enhancing drugs.
‘‘I heard an interview where Mark was irate and rightly so. I support Mark 100 per cent but he’s got to be careful on how he handles this thing. Everything he said about the issue and about Brock was on point. There should be a body that looks after fighters and some penalties in place. But he’s got to be careful not doing the drug tests.’’
Sefo’s life has evolved significantly from that night he and Hunt first captivated the MMA world. But what are the chances of seeing a repeat – one more standand-deliver battle to turn back the clock?
‘‘Mark and I don’t know what an exhibition is. I know for a fact if we were to face off against each other again fireworks will happen. That being said, time is of the essence. We don’t have that luxury of being 21 anymore. Mark and I have talked about it before and we both agreed it would be a great fight. At some point it might happen.’’
My upbringing was tough, typical of many Polynesians. You get beat. Polynesian parents show you love by slapping you around.