Duke Didier is the son of rugby royalty, but he has created his own legacy in the field of mixed martial arts.
The Duke of Canberra will face undefeated Canadian heavyweight Ben Tynan at ONE Fight Night 21: Arcel vs. Nicholas on Saturday, April 6th at Lumpini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He plans to continue his rise to the top of the sport.
Growing up in Canberra, Didier had the ultimate role models to look up to as he pursued a career as an elite-level athlete. His father was former Wallaby and ACT Brumbies Geoff Didier.
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“I've had a pretty good life growing up. I come from a sporting background. My father was an elite rugby player. He played for the Wallabies and Brumbies. He was a professional and especially “He's very well known here in Canberra and has always been a big influence on me,” he said.
“He's never forced me into a particular sport. He's always been a great role model and very supportive of whatever I choose to do. It's great to have someone to look up to like this. I think this is the driving force for me to continue my current job at the age of 34.”
Didier dreamed of following in his father's footsteps since childhood, until his entry into the school's judo program changed the course of his life.
He was also a good rugby union prospect and joined the ACT national team at the age of 18. But in the end, it was judo that captured his heart, and by the time he was 20, rugby was in his rearview mirror.
“I started playing rugby when I was nine years old. I started judo because I was told at school that it would help with tackling in rugby. So that's what led me to judo,” he said.
“The school I went to happened to have a judo program, one of the most elite judo programs in the country, with several Olympians. So eventually I caught the bug and I progressed to the junior training team and AIS for judo. Then I was doing it almost full time. I gave up rugby and concentrated on judo for a number of years.
“If you want to be a leader in something, you can't spread yourself too thin. I tell my players that all the time. Sometimes you can be OK at everything, and sometimes you're only good at one thing. . I just gravitated toward what I was good at. So if I was better at rugby, you guys might have seen me playing rugby, but I'm better at rugby. But he was better at judo.”
Despite his obvious links to the world of rugby union, Didier borrowed his father's influence into the world of martial arts.
His elite mentality has earned him three national titles, medals at the Oceania Championships, the Asian Open and the US Open, and earned him a spot on the 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games team in Glasgow, Scotland.
“That gave me the drive and motivation to make sure I achieved it, because I saw that it was clearly possible and not out of reach,” he said. said.
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“I didn't want to grow up in someone else's shadow, and that happened a lot when I was little. But I just tried to pursue what I was good at until I got really good at it. I just never quit, never gave up. I never thought about quitting.”
Didier entered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of the key pillars of mixed martial arts, through another cross-training venture.
After unfortunately missing out on selection for the 2018 Olympic Judo team, the Progression MMA representative decided to focus fully on his new dream of becoming a top fighter.
Although his parents were somewhat taken aback by his recent MMA career choices, it was ultimately thanks to their support that Didier achieved a meteoric rise to the world stage in just 10 fights.
“My passport is very full, but I am grateful for judo. I have seen the world many times in corners of the world that I know I will never return to. , thanks to the support from my mother and father,” he said.
“I didn't have a father who tried to live through his son, like you often see in junior sports. I had a dad who was always rooting for me. As a result, I was able to find my own path. When I found my path, I realized that that path was judo and then I was making a living fighting in the cage.”
Didier quickly embarked on a winning streak, winning several national MMA titles on the local circuit, but ultimately turned to the bright lights of ONE Championship.
After narrowly falling short in his promotional debut (which he accepted on short notice), the Australian heavyweight now feels ready to seize the promotional opportunity with both hands.
“[Fighting for ONE Championship]was a goal I set for myself a long time ago. I set a goal for myself, but my next goal is to make sure I can claim to be the winner in that promotion. “It's about making it happen,” he said.
“Honestly, I'm really happy. Being able to stand on this stage and do my job now is the culmination of all my hard work and all the work I've done in my life.'' International I'm so happy to be able to do this at the level and get the mainstream exposure that I think I deserve. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and now is the time to take advantage of it.”
His next opportunity came in the form of Tynan, a Canadian wrestling standout who had defeated all five of his professional MMA opponents within range.
The affable Didier identifies himself with the eccentric Tynan, who has bleached his blonde hair and has a quirky sense of humour.
It's those traits, along with Tynan's obvious martial arts pedigree, that Didier feels he will have to counteract on April 6th.
“(I love it.) If I wasn't fighting him, I think I would like him. I like the cut of his jib. I think he's an interesting guy. The way he carries himself, I like him. “I look a lot like myself and that's a compliment,” he said.
“I think he's pretty good at cardio and wrestling. I also want to note his electric personality. He looks like a real character coming out of the game, and it's great.
“I also love professional wrestling, so I don't want to get too carried away. I don't want to get involved in a professional wrestling match.” But if I can finish my work, I'd like to have a beer with him afterwards. ”
