WHILE all eyes are on former Warilla-Lake South Gorilla Alex Volkanovski as he attempts to take down Max Hollaway in UFC 245 for the world crown, the Shoalhaven may have its own potential champion on its hands very soon.
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Sussex Inlet's Jake Treyvaud, who trains alongside Volkanovski at Windang's Freestyle Fighting Gym, has enjoyed a breakthrough season in the octagon.
The now 17-year-old started wrestling 10 years while his family lived in Sydney.
But when they moved to the South Coast in 2012, with no gyms available, Treyvaud was forced to wrestle older brother Ryley to practice.
At the age of 15, Treyvaud finally joined a gym in Nowra, before eventually starting training with Joe Lopez at the Freestyle Fighting Gym.
"I train with Joe three times a week, on top of a Saturday morning sparring session," Treyvaud said.
"I then do my wrestling training with Don Brown at Illawarra PCYC up to two times a week.
"When not training at the PCYC, I also like to help out the little kids with their development and confidence - wrestling is a great sport for young kids to get into."
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On top of all that, Treyvaud is also an Illawarra Academy of Sport (IAS) scholarship holder.
"The IAS has a great strength and conditioning program - I already feel stronger and it's a huge part of my sport," he said.
"I look forward to taking full advantage of all IAS programs and all they have to offer to achieve my goals."
It's through this training regime, as well as the influence of his parents Darren and Kim, that Treyvaud has achieved great things in 2019.
The Vincentia High School alumna's list of achievements includes; Australia Wrestling Champion, Australian Pankration Champion and Australian MMA Champion, as well as representing the country at the IMMAF World Championships in Rome and at the Oceania Championships in Guam - where he won a silver medal.
"The most impressive achievement this year is the IMMAF World Championships," he said.
"Although I didn't medal, I did very well - producing plenty of close matches against a number of the top fighters from countries such as Russia, the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.
"Competing on the world stage and doing so well has given me the drive, focus and confidence to succeed.
"Since then I have been more determined and taken training more seriously, because I know I can compete with the world's best."
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Treyvaud, who credits Volkanovski for showing that someone from the South Coast can excel in the UFC, is planning to have a bigger year in 2020.
He has just recently qualified for the Oceania Championships in Samoa and has both the IMMAF World Championships and Pankration World Championships in his sights.
"I can't wait to represent my country and giving my all," he said.
"But I won't be happy unless I'm standing on the podium, winning gold - with the national anthem playing in the background."
Treyvaud also credits IMMAF coach Brian Ebersole and BAIMED's Mitch Nielsen for helping him get him where he is today.