For someone to willingly step into a cage and fight another man… something’s not normal.

You’re either wired differently… or there’s a deeper reason driving it.

This week on the pod, I sit down with Luke Howard.

An OG Aussie MMA fighter who was fighting in a cage long before there was a blueprint, a pathway, or any real structure to the sport.

Before Volk, Whittaker, or Della became household names, Luke was already in there, headlining fight cards around the country.

He opens up about his Australian title fight with Jack Della, stepping in when no one else would, taking it to him, and what it actually feels like to go out cold in a cage. The physical damage, the mental fallout, and the reality of fighting in the early days when safety was less regulated and the risks were higher.

But this isn’t really a fight story.

It’s about what drives someone to do it in the first place.

Luke breaks down what he calls controlled violence, the difference between fighters who break and those who don’t, the danger of chasing validation, and why knowing your “why” can save you in and out of the cage.

That mindset is what led him to becoming a world-class boxing coach at Soma Fight Club in Bali.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it really takes to live this life, the pain, the pressure, the mentality, Luke’s lived every bit of it.

He is that guy. If you know, you know.

🥷 Watch Luke in action:

Eternal Title Fight vs Jack Della

Comeback Fight vs Anthony Bynoe

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👇 Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:02 Luke Howard’s Story

03:39 Injuries That Ended Judo

09:59 Transition to MMA

18:41 Chasing a Fighting Career

26:00 Moving to Bali

33:39 Life in Bali

35:25 Fighting Jack Della

51:46 Mental Health & Demons

53:26 Advice for Young Men

🥋 Stay in the fkn Fight

From East Auckland Street violence and not expecting to make it past 21 to building Bali’s toughest fight club.

Mike Ikilei, founder of Soma Fight Club, opens up about growing up comfortable with violence, the moment a gym pulled him back from the edge, and how Soma became a global destination for fighters and more family than a facility.

He talks about fatherhood, community, the ANZAC toughness that shaped him, and why titles are just byproducts of giving everything.

If you’ve ever felt pulled toward chaos, struggled with direction, or wanted more from yourself, this conversation shows what happens when violence is turned into purpose.

Mike shares the mindset behind Soma, the standards he lives by, and the code that built one of the world’s most respected fight communities.

We break down the story behind the Soma name, the mission driving the movement, and what comes next.

📲 Follow Mike:

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🥋 Follow Soma Fight Club:

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👇 Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:01:41 Did Soma Become What Mike Originally Envisioned?

00:04:09 Growing Up in East Auckland

00:09:08 The Gym That Changed Mike’s Life

00:14:01 Moving to Bali and Taking the Risk

00:29:09 Building Soma Fight Club From Scratch

00:31:26 How Soma Built a Global Fight Community

00:33:07 The Biggest Challenge Facing New Gyms

00:38:41 Building the Soma Brand

00:43:03 The Story Behind the Name Soma

00:46:32 Protecting the Culture Inside Soma

00:51:40 Coaching India’s First UFC Fighter

01:02:34 Outro

🥋 Stay in the fkn Fight

Locky Tinhla grew up mixed-race with a violent, racist father before going on to fight bare-knuckle in Myanmar, inside the world’s most brutal combat sport.

He opens up about the impact that environment had on his identity and mental health, how early exposure to violence shaped his worldview, and the years of self-destruction that nearly broke him before he found something that gave him direction.

That search led him to Lethwei, the traditional Burmese bare-knuckle fighting sport widely regarded as the most brutal combat sport on earth. Locky explains how he discovered Lethwei, why it stood apart from every other fighting discipline, and what pushed him to fly to Myanmar, despite it being a red, do-not-travel zone, to take his first fight with minimal preparation.

Now known as Australia’s only active Lethwei fighter, Locky breaks down what it was really like stepping into the ring in Myanmar, the realities of bare-knuckle fighting under Lethwei rules, and why he continues to return to one of the most dangerous combat environments in the world.

This episode is a raw, unfiltered conversation about violence, identity, risk, and what it means to choose a path that everything and everyone says you shouldn’t.

If this episode brings anything up for you, you do not have to carry it alone.

If you are in Australia, you can contact MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78. Free, confidential support for men, 24 hours a day.

If you are in immediate danger or need urgent help, contact Lifeline: 13 11 14

📲 Follow Locky:

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🎙️ Follow Benny Drohan Podcast:

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👇 Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:22 What Is Lethwei? (Burmese Bare Knuckle Fighting)

02:56 Who Is Locky Tinhla?

04:38 Identity Struggle

10:49 Mental Health Battle

19:31 Recovery & Finding Purpose

22:28 Luky’s Role in the Comeback

30:47 The Lethwei Gym Journey

36:10 Getting Asked to Fight

47:01 First Lethwei Fight

50:45 The Only Aussie to Fight Lethwei in Myanmar

51:56 How Many Fights Since the First?

58:42 How Locky Became a Content Creator

🥋 Stay in the fkn Fight