For almost 15 minutes, Soa Palelei had his way with Korea’s then-unbeaten Mu Bae Choi in his PRIDE debut in October of 2004. On the ground, on the feet, the Australian always seemed to be one strike away from finishing his foe off and beginning his career in the big leagues with a flourish.
But fatigue was doing more damage to Palelei than Choi, who landed flush shots to the face that the Perth native laughed off, even asking for more at one point in the first round. Palelei couldn’t laugh about his rapidly depleting gas tank though, and as the seconds ticked away in the second round, Choi secured a miracle takedown and an even more miraculous rear naked choke, submitting Palelei at 4:55 of the second round.
For the previously unbeaten Palelei, it was a devastating defeat, one he can only characterize now as “a learning experience.” He wouldn’t fight again for nearly three years, but with his talent, size, a wide open heavyweight division, and the boys of Team Quest in California behind him, the lure of a return was too strong.
“I was active in training,” he said of the time off, “but I missed fighting. It was tough.”
Palelei re-entered the heavyweight mix in October with a 15 second blowout of Shaun Vanof in his hometown of Perth, and then inked a deal with the UFC which will begin Saturday with a bout against up and comer Eddie Sanchez.
“I’ve watched his fights and he’s tough, but everyone wants to win and no one wants to lose, so at the end of the day, we’ll see because I’m not training to lose,” said Palelei, who split his training camp between Australia and California.
“I’m gonna be back and forth, but if I have a fight, I’ll be in the States seven, eight weeks out from the fight so I’ll have a good camp,” he said. “I’d like to make the move out here (to the States), but I’ve got family commitments as well, so I’ll have to go back and forth.”
And though the father of three doesn’t like missing time with his family, he knows that if he can accomplish his goals in the UFC, life for them will be even better in the coming years.
“I want the belt,” he said. “That’s why I’ve come to the best team, Team Quest, and I think they can get me there. I’ve got the talent, I’ve got the skill, and I’m coming down in weight to 265, so I think I’m fast and I’m sharp as well.”
Palelei’s conditioning may be the only question mark of his game, as he has shown power, athleticism, and a well-rounded MMA game in compiling his 8-1 pro record (which includes a 2004 TKO win over UFC vet Christian Wellisch). Add in his size (6-4, 265, and he’ll be a handful for anyone in the division.
“It’s easy to cut down to 265,” said Palelei of his conditioning and the cut to the heavyweight limit. “I’m not a 205 pounder trying to get into 265, coming up a weight, so me coming down is gonna be a tough time for any of the heavyweights I fight. They’ve got to knock me out or they’re gonna have big problems if I’m coming in fit and strong. And training with Team Quest, I’m gonna come in 150% and well-conditioned.”
Look out heavyweights, there’s a new superhero in town.
“This is the best organization around at the moment and there are some good heavyweights in the UFC,” said the 30-year old Palelei. “You’ve got (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira, Heath Herring, (Gabriel) Gonzaga, but ‘The Hulk’s in the running as well, so we’ll see what happens.”
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