From sleeping in a car to the UFC: The incredible rise of ‘Genghis’ Kaan Ofli

Melbourne MMA prospect ‘Genghis’ Kaan Ofli had a rough start to life, but now the 30 year old has huge plans in the UFC and wants to ‘fight for the belt within two years.’

When he was 12, Kaan Ofli lived in an old Ford Falcon with his mum and sister.

A few years later, he dropped out of school and became a brickie’s labourer in Melbourne before deciding to join the army.

Now, the Victorian MMA prospect is within touching distance of landing a UFC contract with his appearance on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Boasting an 11-2-1 professional record, and riding an eight-fight win streak, the 30-year-old knows that three wins on the 32nd season of the show will see him join the UFC’s featherweight ranks.

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Not bad for a guy who entered his teenage years homeless and aimless in Melbourne.

Ofli has his first fight on The Ultimate Fighter on Wednesday. Picture: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs Team Shevchenko

“When I was 12, my parents separated and my dad left the country,” Ofli tells this masthead ahead of his first TUF fight, which airs on Kayo Sports Wednesday. “My mum didn’t have the best English at the time, and had no family in Australia.

“Essentially, we were alone in the world.

“The bank came and sold the house that they owned, so from that point onwards we were living in the car.

“Mum was in the back seat, and me and my sister were in the front.”

They lived that way for around four months before getting assistance.

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“We went to the government and at first they didn’t believe that we were all sleeping in the car,” he says. “But when they came outside, they had a look and realised they had to make something happen quick.

“They didn’t have a house ready for us, so we lived in a church for a little bit, and in a refuge for a little bit until they found us a suitable home to stay in.”

It was Ofli’s dad who first introduced him to martial arts, “Because I was no good at soccer,” he laughs.

“But the government helped us a lot and even provided me a scholarship to train Jiu Jitsu for one year.

“That allowed me to stay in the sport.”

Meanwhile, his education suffered.

“I left school in Year 8 because we were struggling so much and my head wasn’t in school,” he says. “I wanted to work, I wanted to provide for my family, so I became a bricklayer’s labourer for about four years.

“When I reached 18, I was pretty lost in life. I was training maybe once a day, but not serious, so I joined the army.

He says he wants to win the featherweight title within two years. Picture: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs Team Shevchenko

“I thought that way I could get my life sorted and learn a trade, but when I was about to go do my test in Queensland, my coach heard about it and gave me a call and said, ‘Why are you doing that?’

“I just said, ‘What else am I gonna do?’

“He just told me to do what I love, which was fighting. He gave me a job as a Jiu Jitsu instructor, he gave me a place to stay and I was able to live the life.

“I hung up the phone, packed my bags and went straight to the gym.”

Having escaped homelessness and poverty, Ofli says he wants to give back to those in need once his fighting days are done.

First though, he has some big plans in the UFC.

“If I look back at everything that’s happened, I’m grateful for it all. It all still seems like a dream to be honest,” he says.

It's been a long journey for Ofli. Picture: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs Team Shevchenko

“My goal is to win The Ultimate Fighter and use that platform to talk my shit and fight the best guys right away.

“I want to fight for the belt within two years.

“Conor McGregor’s done it. Ilia Topuria’s done it. Even Alex Pereira.

“Hopefully once I win this show, I’ll be on the way to the top.”

That journey starts this week, when Ofli – who is trained by women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso on TUF – takes on the Valentina Schevchenko-coached Nathan Fletcher.

“He’s a complete fighter and he trains with Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann in England, so he’s got a lot of experience,” Ofli says of Fletcher.

“He’s got a lot of finishes, he’s really well-rounded, and it’ll be a really exciting fight.”

Originally published as From sleeping in a car to the UFC: The incredible rise of ‘Genghis’ Kaan Ofli