A year ago she was forced off Survivor with dehydration so bad, doctors couldn’t even draw blood from her arm.
Yet now, Chelsea Hackett is looking to regain her mantle as Australia’s No.1 female fighter.
Still only 24, Hackett has commenced talks with several American promotions in a bid to reignite her professional career and catapult into the UFC women’s flyweight ranks.
While it has been almost two years since her last fight – a shock loss on Dana White’s Contender Series – the Gold Coast striker has revealed to Fox Sports Australia that she not only belongs in the UFC but is “ready to dominate there”.
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Back in 2020, the world champion Muay Thai fighter seemed all set to be thrust into the UFC before suffering a shock DWCS stoppage against American Victoria Leonardo.
Afterwards, UFC president Dana White was highly critical of the Queenslander’s ground game, with Hackett then returning home for a surprise stint on reality TV series, Australian Survivor.
Filmed in outback Queensland, the fighter was through roughly 30 days of the adventure when she suddenly fell seriously ill and was rushed to hospital.
So dehydrated was Hackett when she arrived doctors could not even draw blood for testing and immediately placed her onto an IV drip for 20 hours.
“So a sh** end,” she says, “to a great experience.
“But I’ve always wanted to be a household name in fighting. Not reality TV.”
Diaz defeats Ferguson in final UFC fight | 02:11
Which is why in the two years since her cage disappearance, Hackett has been working intensely on her ground game – which has most recently included training alongside UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski and his head coach, Joe Lopez.
“Two of the sport’s greatest minds,” she says.
Yet with a lack of quality talent available in Australia – and a slated Eternal appearance recently cancelled after her opponent withdraw – Hackett is now in talks with US promoters.
“And I know I belong in the UFC,” she says. “Know I will get there too.
“When Contender first fell into my life, I wasn’t ready.
“And I’m OK saying that now.
“Initially though, I was angry. Angry I didn’t perform.
“And I held onto that anger for the best part of a year.
“Eventually, it became toxic, that need to prove I was better.
“So I took a step back, looked at a few things, and realise now it’s no longer about proving others wrong.
“For me, it’s about proving that over the past two years I’ve become better, become stronger, and grown as a fighter.
“I know I’m ready for the UFC now. I just need to fight.”
AUSSIE GETS CONTRACT, ‘NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS’
He may be a doppelganger for this Sunday’s Clive Churchill medal favourite, but breakout Australian featherweight Jack Jenkins is ready to make his own name after inking his UFC contract in blood.
Not so long ago pouring beers in country Victoria, Jenkins is now gunning for a December Octagon debut following his third round TKO win against Freddy Emiliano Linares on Dana White’s Contender Series, Wednesday.
Apart from drawing blood from his rival, the 29-year-old also drew more than a little social media commentary this week for his resemblance to Penrith’s grand final No.7 Nathan Cleary.
Wonderfully, Cleary already has links to the UFC given his part ownership in the Drink West beer label with fighters Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro.
Yet while the UFC Facebook page saw many Aussie fans comparing Jenkins with the NSW Origin No.7, it was in rugby union where the fighter first starred, playing well enough into his teens to earn selection with a Victorian Schoolboys side which toured the UK.
Eventually switching to kickboxing, Jenkins has most recently become famous for breaking the legs of three consecutive opponents with his devastating kicks.
Yet against Emiliano, the Aussie spent most of the fight on the ground grappling, however also split his rival with some savage elbows.
Aussie on the cusp of UFC after beatdown | 00:48
Speaking afterwards about his performance, the fighter dubbed Phar Jack revealed a series of Visa complications had made for a chaotic build-up to the biggest fight of his life in Las Vegas.
“I just caught Dana for a couple of minutes out the back and spoke about the performance,” Jenkins said. “It was such a pressure cooker this week.
“I had some troubles getting a visa so we ended up flying in late.
“I got in at 10.30, then got picked up at 6.30 to come do media so it was all a bit of a whirlwind.
“But I think The Contender is designed a bit like that, to weed out the guys who can’t handle the pressure.
“And maybe it got a little bit to me there in the performance and I didn’t let my hands go and let my kickboxing prowess show.
“But I did enough to get the job done.
“And I came here to get the contract.”
Pushed on his performance, he continued: “I was just a bit overwhelmed.
“I got the finish.
“10-9 in the first, 10-8 in the second and then finished him in the third.
“So in any other scenario you go ‘wow, what a performance’.
“But in the pressure that comes with being in The Contender, you do think ‘f…, was that enough?’.
“So I was a bit disappointed but both of my coaches said ‘pull your head in, you did very well’. So now the real work begins.
“It’s a murderer’s row (at featherweight) so time to pull the finger out and really get going.”
Watch UFC280: Oliveira v Makhachev LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo, Sunday 23 October from 15am AEST. ORDER NOW >
IZZY GONNA WIN? ROB THINKS NOT
Robert Whittaker has backed Brazilian Alex Pereira to do the unthinkable and take UFC gold from Israel Adesanya.
An undeniable No.1 contender in the middleweight division, Whittaker is keen to take on whoever wins the championship showdown set to headline UFC 281 in November.
But as for who he thinks will get it done?
“Initially, I was leaning heavily towards Adesanya,” he says. “But the more I look at this fight, the more I’m starting to see different things …. and the heavier I’m leaning towards Pereira.
“The guy is really good at his craft.
“(Laughs) But who knows? Maybe Israel goes out and starches him.”
Elsewhere, Whittaker also shrugged off recent suggestions by Daniel Cormier that he doesn’t have the style to beat Adesanya.
“Stylistically, Israel is definitely a hard match up for me,” he conceded. “Fighting a tall dude with a lot of range who fights defensively, yeah, it’s a hard match up.
“But last time we fought, I was a hair’s breadth away from winning. And I’m sure it’s going to be a case of third time’s a charm for me.
“And that won’t be the first time I’ve surprised people.”
Should Whittaker get another go at Izzy? | 01:58
‘CHAMP CHAMP’ CROWN BECKONS FOR ‘BACK-UP’ VOLK
Alexander Volkanovski is closing in his quest to be on standby for UFC 280 — and potentially earn a coveted ‘Champ Champ’ crown — with a decision likely to be made by UFC boss Dana White within days.
Way back in July, and shortly after having three screws placed in his left hand, Australia’s UFC featherweight champ told this column of his plans to be ‘back up’ fighter for the October lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.
Now three weeks out from the headliner, sources close to Volkanovski say the champ remains confident of getting the nod, however neither the fighter nor manager Ash Belcastro were available for comment this morning.
Despite breaking and dislocating his left hand in a hyped trilogy win over Max Holloway at UFC 276, Volkanovski was back in the gym three weeks later doing strength work, conditioning, even kickboxing workouts.
It was then that he also opened discussions with his team about being ready for the Abu Dhabi headliner on October 23 (AEST) that could see him earn a second title and ‘champ champ’ status.
Speaking at the time, Volkanovski said he had a “feeling” either Oliveira or Makhachev would withdraw from the bout, opening up an opportunity for him to chase a second belt if his hand is ready.
“That’s the type of guy I am,” he said.
