By Canadian Press

Ottawa bantamweight Liam Macfadyen no stranger to world of combat sports

Oct 2, 2024 | 9:21 AM

TORONTO — Liam (The Celtic Samurai) Macfadyen grew up in combat sports, surrounded by black belts, Olympians and Hall of Famers.

His mother, Tina Takahashi, holds a seventh-degree black belt in judo and is a former world champion in Sambo, a martial art developed by the Soviet Red Army to enhance hand-to-hand combat skills. She is also a former Canadian Olympic judo coach and world university judo champion.

Tina and her late brother Phil (a Canadian Olympic judoka) and father Masao Takahashi (a former NATO combat Instructor) are all in the Judo Canada Hall of Fame. Ray Takahashi, Liam’s uncle, represented Canada in wrestling at three Olympics, was a six-time Canadian champion and is in the Wrestling Canada Hall of Fame.

Liam’s father, Sean Mcfadyen, is a former head of Canada’s Sambo federation. Liam and his older brothers, Adam and Torin, teamed up to win the 2019 Pan American championship in Sambo.

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“I’ve had a lot of belief in myself from a young age, knowing that I come from a family of such high-level athletes,” said Liam.

“I had Olympic dreams for judo as a kid,” he added. “But once I started getting into some striking … I knew I wanted to do that for ever.”

Liam is now focused on mixed martial arts, winning his two professional bouts to date both in the Unified MMA promotion. On Friday, the 26-year-old bantamweight from Ottawa looks to add to that record when he takes on Dan (Cobra) Sopa of Kitchener, Ont., at Unified 59.

The main event at Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto pits Montreal’s Alex (the Chess Master) Morgan (14-6-0) against American Jeremy (Bad Combination) Henry (5-2-0) for the interim Unified MMA featherweight title.

Macfadyen and Sopa are no strangers. They met at the 2017 Ontario Muay Thai Championships with Sopa winning by decision.

“I expect a completely different fighter in there (Friday),” said Macfadyen, who trains at Westside Muay Thai (striking) and Fight Factory (MMA, BJJ) a well as his family’s Tina Takahashi Martial Arts (Sambo). “I’m sure we’re both completely different fighters now. It’s been seven years and MMA’s a different game. It should play out differently for sure with small gloves and no (protective) gear.”

Macfadyen started in judo then switched to wrestling, Sambo, Muay Thai and MMA.

“I’m loving it, for sure,” he said of his combat sports education. “It’s been a great journey and everything’s been planned out perfectly.”

Macfadyen teaches at the family gym while not training.

He made his pro MMA debut last October, knocking out (The Relentless) Patrick Arseneau in the first round at Unified 53 in Ottawa. He then won a decision over Gabe (Samurai) Sagman at Unified 57 in June in Toronto.

Sagman, an elite grappler who had 13 previous MMA fights, was a late replacement, coming in two days before the fight.

Macfadyen has had more time to prepare for Sopa, who won his pro debut at Unified 57 with a spectacular head kick knockout of Alex Gluzman in the third round.

He expects Sopa to present a different challenge from Sagman.

“Pretty much opposite styles. I know he’s a tall, lanky high-level Muay Thai fighter. He likes to play from the outside, keep people at range, throwing long shots,” he said.

“I’m just not going to be hanging out at range, letting him get free shots off,” he added. “Make him pay for anything he tries to throw at me.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2024.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press