‘Jedi’ Jumeau fights for UFC dream
Luke ‘the Jedi’ Jumeau wants to conquer the UFC galaxy and live the dream.
The Hamilton MMA fighter is hoping to force his way on to the sport’s biggest stage and fight among UFC’s maddest and baddest characters, starting with UFC Auckland in June.
Jumeau is 14 fights into his burgeoning professional career - with 11 wins and three losses - that began in 2008 and the 29-year-old hasn’t lost since 2013.
His last fight was Jumeau’s biggest to date and proof he can compete with the sport’s elite, as he defeated Australian UFC veteran Vik Grujic by TKO in the second round of their fight on the Gold Coast in January.
Beating Grujic, who has ‘‘made it in UFC’’ in the United States, means ’the Jedi’ has struck down his last six opponents.
After fighting in seven different countries (New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, UAE, Taiwan and China), the mission hasn’t changed for Jumeau. It’s not a new hope. UFC has been his dream from a long time ago.
‘‘I honestly can’t remember a time when it hasn’t been everything I’ve thought about,’’ Jumeau said.
‘‘All of my energy goes into it. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted or dreamed.
‘‘Even as kid, I wanted this and I’ve worked so hard towards it.
‘‘I would be speechless [if I made it]. I wouldn’t know what to do.
‘‘If I get the call-up and I went in there, hopefully I would perform and then two or three weeks after it would settle in.’’
The Star Wars nickname and his social media hashtag – #jediforufc – have become a trademark that Jumeau never saw coming, but it could be something he must embrace to rise up from a host of welterweights duelling for the same dream.
‘‘It came from Luke [Skywalker] but it was an Auckland promotion that was called ICNZ and when I had my pro debut, I was quite well known as an amateur and had a big following,’’ Jumeau explained.
‘‘Hundreds from Hamilton would travel up to Auckland and they did a big video, hyping everything up for the fight.
‘‘They played the Return of the Jedi theme and it’s just never gone away.’’
It’s not been easy for Jumeau to juggle his professional MMA career with his full-time job as a panel beater, and spend time with his partner, Moets, and their two young children Luna, 3, and Oenomaus, 1, at their home in Ngaruawahia.
Jumeau said it was tough but he’s found the right balance, as he works in Hamilton and trains at the Core MMA gym in Frankton four to five times a week.
‘The Jedi’ has plenty of backing from his hometown but still waits on his manager and promoters for confirmation of fighting up the road in Auckland, as UFC strikes back in New Zealand for the first time since 2014.
UFC doesn’t just want fighters. It craves characters.
‘‘When the mic gets handed my way, I definitely don’t shy away from speaking my mind. I’ve got no problem with that,’’ Jumeau added.
‘‘I don’t typically enjoy it but I know it’s part of the job and you’ve got to do it. I tend to do a lot of talking inside and you’ve got to back the words up, 100 per cent.’’