Zuckerberg and the Bears: How a Sydney fight manager wants to revive North Sydney

Israel Adesanya and Alex Volkanovski’s manager is interested in helping bring back the Bears.

Belcastro co-owns a fightwear company with Adesanya and Volkanovski. Picture: Supplied

It’s been a hectic UFC 293 fight week, but a Sydneysider with links to Mark Zuckerberg and a desire to bring back the North Sydney Bears has arguably been the busiest person in Sydney.

It’s been non-stop all week for Ash Belcastro, who through his management company AP Sports Management, handles five fighters on the card, including middleweight world champion Israel Adesanya.

Indeed, it’s been a busy couple of years for the father of one, who also manages featherweight world champion Alex Volkanovski.

Just two months ago, Belcastro, Adesanya and Volkanovksi spent a few days hanging out and training with Zuckerberg at his house on Lake Tahoe in California.

The Facebook founder first contacted Volkanovski via social media last year.

“Mark reached out to Alex when he fought Max and was really interested in his mindset and how he pushed through in that fight with a broken hand,” Belcastro says.

“That was pretty cool, and from there we got talking and he invited us over to catch up.”

Zuckerberg has been training in martial arts for a number of years now, and did jiu jitsu with Volkanovski and a few training partners on a boat on the lake in July.

The tech mogul even bought a pair of shorts at the online fightwear brand Belcastro, Adesanya and Volkanovski co-own named Engage.

“He’s a martial artist now, he lives and breathes it,” Belcastro says of Zuckerberg. “He’s actually shopped online with us before, so you get moments like that from time to time, which is pretty cool.”

While combat sports dominate his life now, Belcastro – like former Warilla Gorillas front-rower Volkanovski – loved rugby league first.

“I’m a North Sydney Bears fan through and through,” he says. “I grew up going to every single home game with my old man, sitting behind the sticks and climbing the tree, watching guys like Michael Buettner, Matty Seers and Jason Taylor.

“My old man played for North Sydney in the lower grades. He was a little halfback and came through playing for Asquith.

“Dad still lives in Asquith now, and I always dreamt of playing for the Bears when I was young.”

Belcastro says his passion for the game faded after the disastrous Northern Eagles merger in the early-2000s, but has been in touch with Bears officials about how he can support the campaign to bring the club back.

Belcastro with daughter, Banx, and Adesanya. Picture: Supplied

Belcastro manages some of Australia and New Zealand's biggest fighters. Picture: Supplied

Surely with his connections, he could get Zuckerberg to follow Russell Crowe’s lead at South Sydney, or Ryan Reynolds’ rejuvenation of Wrexham?

“Maybe we can make Mark the number one ticket holder,” Belcastro says. “I’ll get Izzy in a Bears jersey for sure though.

“I’ll get him down at every Bears home game at North Sydney Oval.

“Volk’s a Dragons fan so that could be tougher, but we might be able to twist his arm. We’ll get him some season tickets or something like that.

“Engage could even do the Bears’ kit if they do get back in.”

For this weekend though, footy takes a back seat as Belcastro helps prepare Adesanya, Carlos Ulberg, Mike ‘Blood Diamond’ Mathetha, Shane Young and Kevin Jousset for UFC 293.

“We’ve also got Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France and Volk, so it’s been pretty busy,” he says. “Everything we do, we do as a team.

“We’ve got five of our guys on the card, which has never been done before, so it’s something we’re really proud of.”

Originally published as Zuckerberg and the Bears: How a Sydney fight manager wants to revive North Sydney