- MMA fighter Sam Marles is the son of Deputy PM Richard Marles
- On the night of Labor’s election victory, Sam scored his own KO
As Deputy PM Richard Marles battled for last-minute votes on the day of the federal election, his son, Sam, was involved in a fight of his own – of the mixed martial arts variety.
On this occasion, the 28-year-old professional welterweight delivered a spectacular knockout victory against a highly-fancied opponent at a domestic MMA event in Logan City.
Sam, who’s always loved sports, says his dad wasn’t exactly sure about his decision to become an MMA fighter.
‘When I made the transition to mixed martial arts, he was a bit concerned,’ he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I sat both my parents down and said, “I’m going to pursue this”. At first, they didn’t really understand it. They maybe didn’t believe this was really a potential career path.
‘They looked at me like I was crazy. But, over time, they started to get on board and actually became quite supportive. I think they can see it’s been a positive influence on my life.
Aussie MMA fighter Sam Marles is the son of Deputy PM Richard Marles (pictured together)
The 28-year-old welterweight says his parents didn’t really understand his decision to be an MMA fighter
The MMA fighter says sitting at a desk job like his parents was something he was never very good at, and finding MMA was a dream come true.
‘I like the description of mixed martial arts as high-level problem-solving with dire consequences. It’s a very free form of combat sport. Boxing, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, kickboxing: it combines everything,’ he said.
‘I love it, and I really like the people I’m around in the gym. ‘
On election night, Sam reached out to his dad to congratulate him on Labor’s landslide win and tell him about his own victory.
‘I called him straight away, but he must have been busy doing interviews,’ he said.
‘I went off and hung out with some people, then when I got back to the hotel room, I had about six missed calls from him. When we finally spoke on the phone, it was a pretty special moment.
‘I don’t cry too often – he’s more of a cryer – but there were definitely a few tears shed during that call. It felt like everything had come together, and everything made sense.
The Deputy PM, who was at St Albans Football Club on the night, had organised an area to watch a broadcast of the bout.
The MMA fighter says he had a special moment on the phone with his dad on election night
‘We’d arranged that there was an area I could go to, in a corner, to watch Sam’s fight. This was, unquestionably, the biggest fight of his career.
‘He went in as the underdog and I was feeling nervous for him. I knew how hard he’d worked, and what winning the fight would mean to him.
‘Halfway through the final round, I’m thinking this thing is really in the balance.
‘Then Sam knocks the other guy down. I’m absolutely yelling and screaming at the screen, ‘YOU BEAUTY!”
