UFC welterweight Jacob Malkoun makes bold claim after ‘crazy’ training session with NRL premiers

Australian UFC fighter Jacob ‘Mamba’ Malkoun believes NRL players could cross over to MMA easier than first thought - if they wanted it enough.

The 26-year-old Sydneysider trained and wrestled with some of the Penrith Panthers when they visited his gym Gracie Smeaton Grange last October.

“These guys are all so athletic, strong and explosive. If they fought or grappled, they would be extremely dangerous,” Malkoun tells 7NEWS.com.au.

“They are freak athletes, and they came in with such a humble attitude.

“The hard work they put in during that training session was amazing to watch.”

A Penrith fan himself, Malkoun was elated when he got the chance to wrestle with some of the best rugby league players in the world.

“I was coaching the players, but I also got to wrestle a few of them, which was awesome,” Malkoun said.

“For a lot of them it was their first time doing any grappling training, so they didn’t have much technique.

“But that didn’t matter, they are so strong and so hard to take down.”

Malkoun, 26, fights at welterweight (83kg) and mostly wrestled the smaller players on the team.

But even so, he said they were a handful to deal with.

“I got to wrestle Apisai Koroisau, Dylan Edwards, Mitch Kenny and a few others,” he said.

“All those guys were strong as.”

Malkoun’s love of MMA doesn’t just stem from hoping to one day become a UFC champion. The middleweight fighter’s true love lies in teaching mixed martial arts and its values to younger generations.

“I love coaching and being in the gym on the mat and teaching - especially younger kids,” ‘Mamba’ said.

“I don’t look to coach people to be champion fighters, my goal is to give the kids that come in confidence, discipline and respect.

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