From being a three-time Australian heavyweight champion in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), to improving the performance of some of Australia and New Zealand’s top athletes, UNE’s latest addition to the Exercise and Sports Science department has carved quite the career so far.
Settling into his office during his second week as a Lecturer in Exercise and Sports Science at UNE, Bradley Morris reflects on where it all began.
“I’ve always had an interest in strength training, even as a young child,” he says. “I was actually a relatively weak kid, so when I was 13, I decided to invest in a small set of adjustable dumbbells and started training at home. I had very little idea of what to do, but I just wanted to improve and get stronger.
"Getting stronger improved my self-esteem, and the discipline required to train regularly helped with other aspects of my life.”
Fast forward a few years, and Brad was in his early twenties working as a Correctional Officer. It was at this point that he made the pivotal decision to enrol in a martial arts class, which, little did he know at the time, would open up the door to professional fighting and mark the start of his academic career.
Seven years after beginning my martial arts journey, I was offered a contract to fight in the sport’s most prestigious show, the UFC.
“One thing led to another, and after 18 months of training, I had my first professional MMA fight,” he says.
“That inspired me to learn how to get even stronger, fitter and faster, so I decided to study an undergraduate degree in Human Movement, majoring in Exercise Science. Then, seven years after beginning my martial arts journey, I was offered a contract to fight in the sport’s most prestigious show, the UFC.”
During his MMA career, Brad collected three heavyweight Australian titles and fought in Australia, Canada and the USA. His first fight in the UFC was up against Cain Velasquez, who went on to become the division’s champion and is now regarded as one of the best heavyweight fighters of all time.
Getting to such an elite level is something Brad says required a lot of perseverance and mental strength, which he believes has helped him in his academic career.
There is determination required to set a goal, train towards it, plan to be successful, and follow your passion, and this comes directly from my fighting experiences. I have tried to bring the same attitude to academia, even though they are worlds apart in so many ways.
“Only a tiny portion of fighting is actually getting to perform on fight night,” he says.
“There’s a lot of perseverance required, and in a lot of ways, that’s similar to going through and completing a PhD. For example, publishing a paper is a great achievement, but there’s copious hours behind that that you’ve got to persevere through and push through to get that end result.
“There is determination required to set a goal, train towards it, plan to be successful, and follow your passion, and this comes directly from my fighting experiences. I have tried to bring the same attitude to academia, even though they are worlds apart in so many ways.”
When Brad decided to close the chapter on his professional fighting career and lean into strength and conditioning coaching, one of his university lecturers encouraged him to seek as much practical experience as possible. This led him to start volunteering at his hometown’s local football club, and soon after, he started observing coaching sessions with the Penrith Panthers. After countless hours of watching, he was offered a part-time role helping the team with wrestling training.
From there, Brad’s career reached new heights. He’s since worked with the Sydney Roosters as a Strength and Power Coach, with the New Zealand Warriors as a Sports Science Manager, and as a Sports Scientist in Berlin for a German training app. He also continued with tertiary studies, completing his Master of Exercise Science whilst coaching elite athletes. He's currently completing a PhD in Exercise Science through Deakin University.
Looking back on these experiences, Brad says the thing that helped him flourish as a coach was his time volunteering during his undergraduate degree. Getting as much work experience as possible is a key piece of advice he’s looking forward to passing onto his students at UNE.
Having an undergraduate degree is a wonderful example of being able to show that there is a level of knowledge and competency, but to be a great coach, you need to practice coaching lots of different people, in many different settings and situations, and a really simple way to start that process is coaching sport at the local level.
“The best thing that an aspiring coach can do is to get out there and practice,” he says.
“I see my role as helping the students link the theory, that is so important for their undergraduate degree, with the practical knowledge that I’ve gained from experience.
“Having an undergraduate degree is a wonderful example of being able to show that there is a level of knowledge and competency, but to be a great coach, you need to practice coaching lots of different people, in many different settings and situations, and a really simple way to start that process is coaching sport at the local level.”
Brad says he is excited to embark on this new chapter at UNE and continue to inspire the next generation of coaches and sports scientists.
“I think this role has a lot of potential,” he says.
“I enjoy teaching and I think the hands-on aspect of working with athletes and coaches, and helping students make sure they’re ready and capable to be good coaches, is a lot of fun.”
You can find Brad in the Exercise and Sports Science department at the UNE Armidale Campus.
