Fast-growing sport becomes Isi Fitikefu’s obsession: “Pumped every time I play a game”

Isi Fitikefu‘s competitive fire doesn’t dim when he leaves the gym. The Tongan-Australian welterweight just swaps gloves for paddles.

The 33-year-old faces undefeated American Chase Mann at ONE Fight Night 39 on Friday, January 23, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The welterweight MMA clash broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Amazon Prime Video. But between training sessions and fight preparation, Fitikefu found an unexpected passion that’s become his mental reset and family bonding time with his wife Dipz Paea and three children Malia, William Ross, and Miya.

Pickleball arrived in Fitikefu’s life through gentle persistence from his wife in late 2025. The Sydney native resisted initially like many skeptics of the fastest-growing sport in the world. His wife kept encouraging him to give it a try. He finally relented and wrapped his hand around a paddle shortly before Christmas.

Something clicked immediately. The same intensity he brings to training at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange transferred seamlessly to the court. He introduced the game to his brothers and sisters, then his three kids followed suit. What started as reluctant participation transformed into genuine family passion that brings them together twice weekly for matches.

“Man, I’m a pickleball master. I say it to everyone,” he said. “I’d like to think that I’m the Roger Federer of pickleball here in Australia. I like to think I am, really, but that’s just what I say in my head to get me pumped every time I play a game.”

Isi Fitikefu finds mental reset through paddle competition

Isi Fitikefu’s professional life revolves around strikes, submissions, and fighting. Pickleball offers something entirely different beyond following trends or chasing the next big thing.

The sport provides moments of joy between the intensity of fight camps and demands of professional combat sports. His career includes victories over Valmir Da Silva and Hiroyuki Tetsuka that established him as a legitimate welterweight contender. But the paddle sport allows him to decompress, reset, and be present with the people he loves most rather than constantly thinking about techniques and opponents.

His competitive fire burns just as brightly on the court as inside the ring. His three kids and siblings absorbed that fierce DNA, turning every session into spirited battles. The family doesn’t participate in official ranking matches because they don’t want to scare other people with their intensity. When they play, it feels like they’re competing for rankings every single time.

“It helps me take my mind off of training and mixed martial arts,” he said. “It calms me down, it helps me switch off for days, and not only that, but, more importantly, I get to spend time with my loved ones. All jokes aside, it’s always fun to spend time and watch them grow, at home or on the courts. I never grew up with a dad. I only grew up with a single mom. And I just want to be that dad that I needed when I was a kid for my kids.”