Ahead of ONE Fight Night 39, MMA Star Isi Fitikefu Finds Calmness on Pickleball Court

Key Highlights

• It is his mental reset, a family ritual, and a reminder that competition still fuels him, whether the goal is a stoppage or a winning rally. Also Read: Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright Overcome Jorja Johnson, Tyra Black in Semifinals at Carvana PPA MastersLike millions worldwide, the Sydney native discovered pickleball amid the sport’s rapid global surge over the past five years.
• His introduction came in late 2025, driven largely by encouragement from his wife, Dipz Paea.
• Initially reluctant, Fitikefu eventually gave in - and was instantly hooked.“I started just before Christmas last year, November 2025.
• My partner, Dipz Paea, was telling me, ‘Oh, come do it, come do it.’ And I was just like, ‘Man, I don’t want to do it,’” Fitikefu told onefc. com.
• “And then I just told myself, ‘You know what, I’ll come do it.’“And I ended up loving it, and now I introduced it to my brothers and sisters, and then my kids, and now they’re falling in love with it, too.”The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange representative embraces the sport with trademark confidence, even jokingly elevating himself to elite status.“Man, I’m a pickleball master.