Stewart Nicoll

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training 16 years ago in 2008 for a few reasons; I was a small kid and wanted to be able to defend myself, I didn't want to be afraid of walking down dark streets, I wanted to be strong and respected, and lastly, I just thought MMA was such a cool sport. I'd really enjoyed watching WWE as a kid but deep down I knew it was pre-determined. When I first watched MMA, I fell in love with the sport right away and knew that it was something I had to learn, and I quickly became obsessed with the sport.

What professional titles have you held? I've held and defended the XFC Australian Title 3x in total.

Any accomplishments in amateur combat sports?
Only in BJJ. Placed Bronze at 2015 Gi World's at Purple Belt

Any belts/ ranks in grappling disciplines? 2nd Degree Black Belt in BJJ

What has been your toughest fight to date and why? My 4th fight and only fight to have gone to a decision. Was for a title, so it went 5 rounds. I fractured my orbital in the beginning of the 3rd round and was seeing double from there on out. Was mentally a really tough fight and I had to dig deep to find a way to win. The fight was a pivotal point in my career. In that fight, I was just looking for submissions, but he was very calm and difficult to finish. I'd gas my arms out and lose positions while hunting submissions. I had my first 3 career wins via submission, then I had that decision win, and after that, I changed my game completely to implement more ground-and-pound. Since then, I've had 4 TKO finishes in a row.

Who is your favorite fighter and why? Alex Volkanovski. Australian Icon. An inspiration to his fellow countrymen. Blue collar worker who, through hard work, got to the very top of the sport whilst being loyal to his local team and coaches. He's an exciting fighter who isn't afraid to take big risks and is just a good human being.

What was your job before you started fighting? Electrician and Air-conditioning

Origin of nickname: Kakamora are a mythical group of people/creatures that reside in my birthplace of the Solomon Islands. The folklore depicts them as: short in stature, tricksters, who live in the forest caves and holes, they are mischievous and aggressive when cornered. Sounds like my kinda people. I didn't know about them honestly until watching the Disney film Moana, where they are depicted as coconut pirates. The nickname was suggested to me by teammate Elliot Compton and, for lack of a better nickname, I decided to adopt it.

Personal Life/Background: My personal life consists of training, watching film, teaching at our Martial Arts gym and spending time with my wife and 3 young children. We have a 3yr old boy and boy girl twins who are a year old, so they keep us busy. We enjoy taking them out to parks, beaches or just wrestling them at home. They are full of energy, so we try to keep them busy and wear them out during the day. Not sure if this is 100% factual or of significance but I believe I'll be the first ever Solomon Islands-born fighter to grace the UFC's Octagon. For me, it's of significance and hope I am able to represent well and inspire other people to chase their dreams.