E56 | Eugene Bareman

Episode summary | Eugene Bareman

Eugene Bareman is New Zealand’s mixed martial arts mastermind.

A professional fighter in his own right, he is a multiple NZ champion in kickboxing, Jui Jitsu and MMA. As a coach he trains two UFC champions – including Israel Adesanya – and multiple fighters in the UFC. He was twice named UFC Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2020.

As a business owner his Auckland gym – City Kickboxing – is widely regarded as one of the best MMA gyms in the world, full of pranks and banter. But it also caters to every day people often changing their lives.

But it could have all been so different. Staring down the barrel of being a high school drop out with a job he didn’t want to work in, Eugene turned his life around by focusing on study with a work ethic that saw him rebound to gain top marks and get into Law School.

His thirst to improve, worth ethic, humbleness, honesty and wisdom, makes this episode a knockout.

Show notes | Eugene Bareman

2:00: Back at Massey High School: rugby, study, and the turning point of his life

12:51: Family fundamentals: Provide for your children, back yourself, learn from your mistakes

16:20: Law school and falling in love with fighting

22:20: Eugene Bareman: the fighter

26:20: On mental toughness

30:45: The ambition to get to 50 fights

34:40: Has this journey gone better than imagined?

37:33: Getting into the UFC

42:20: Israel Adesanya

51:34: Behind the scenes of a UFC fight night: locker room and between rounds

1:03:41: Reacting to losses in combat sports

1:10:21: City Kickboxing: Changing lives

1:17:39: The weight of responsibility

1:21:19: Hard work, pranks and banter

1:25:52: The role of the trainer in combat sports

1:31:05: Getting recognised overseas

1.33.01: Last words from Steven, Seamus and Eugene