Saskatoon teen hopes to hit the big time in MMA

For Lucas Oanta, the road to success requires intense focus, determination, a strict diet and a lot of physical training.

Lucas was born in Canada to a Brazilian mother, Lucia, and a Romanian father, Sebastian. Both of them are supporting his dream of becoming a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competitor.

The 19-year-old lives in Saskatoon now, and works full time at a Co-op. The Martensville High School graduate has also been training in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) since he was 12 years old.

The combat sport combines various types of martial arts, including Thai boxing (Muay Thai), taekwondo, karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Lucas knows the risks that come with the sport. But despite its gritty reputation, a 2015 University of Alberta study comparing MMA to boxing concluded that while MMA fighters are slightly more likely to get injured in a match, their injuries are generally considered minor cuts and bruises.

In that study, the data showed boxers were more likely to experience more serious injuries including concussions, head traumas, eye injuries and the loss of consciousness.

A small 2023 study by two British Columbia researchers also followed several people who practised MMA on a regular basis. Participants developed better cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength.

They also reported improved mental health, including increased self-esteem, confidence, reduced anxiety and stress, and a strong sense of community within the sport.

Lucia Oanta said seeing her son fight can be difficult, because she obviously doesn't want him to get hurt.

Regardless, she and her husband Sebastian said they are both 100 per cent on board.

"I have other people say, 'how can you support something like this?' Like, how can you NOT support your kid in doing something that he wants to do and that he loves, that's his passion?'" Lucia said.

Sebastian Oanta agreed it's an awful feeling to see his son get knocked down during a fight, especially when his instincts are telling him to run over and help, but the athlete's father said he understands it goes with the territory. 

"In MMA this is part of the game," said Sebastian. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

The sport of MMA is reported to have upwards of 300 million fans worldwide.

According to web traffic on the UFC's official website, its core fans are from the United States, Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia.

Lucas said two of his favourite UFC fighters are Americans Justin Gaethje and TJ Dillshaw.

The most high profile Canadian fighter is Georges St-Pierre. The two-division UFC Champion retired in 2019 and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of fame in September 2023.

Lucas recently travelled to Kamloops, B.C., to compete in his first professional fight.

He said being in B.C. with his longtime coach, Kurt Southern, and his teammates was a great experience. Filmmaker Felipe Gomez documented Lucas's journey for CBC in collaboration with the Creator Network.

You can see what happened in Kamloops in the mini-documentary at the top of this article.

Win or lose, Lucas said he is grateful for the supportive community behind him as moves forward with the sport.

With his first fight under his belt, Lucas said he plans to keep training, learning and working hard to achieve his dream of stepping into a UFC ring in the future.

CBC Saskatchewan's Creator Network is a place where young digital storytellers from diverse backgrounds can produce original video content to air on CBC and tell stories through their own lens. Get in touch or pitch your own story here.