Home » Sports » Combat Sports » Steve Irwin Paid for One of His Security Guards to Train for MMA in the United States. Kyle Noke, the Security Guard, Went on to Fight in the UFC.
Steve Irwin the Crocodile Man

Steve Irwin Paid for One of His Security Guards to Train for MMA in the United States. Kyle Noke, the Security Guard, Went on to Fight in the UFC.

While we’re used to seeing Steve Irwin wrestle crocs, we can see him practicing takedowns. Delving deeper into Irwin’s martial arts history yields some more intriguing nuggets, most notably the impact he had on the career of former UFC fighter Kyle Noke. But how did Irwin help Kyle Noke reach his full potential as an MMA fighter?

Steve Irwin paid for one of his security guards to go and train MMA in the United States; that security guard, Kyle Noke, went on to fight in the UFC and credited Irwin with helping him achieve his goals.

The Crocodile Man Behind Kyle Noke

Noke spoke about how Irwin paid for his flights to the USA.

He sponsored me and paid for my first flights to the States. He really pushed me to follow my career and follow my passion.

Kyle Noke, UFC Fighter

In addition to financial assistance, Noke mentioned how Irwin assisted him in the training room.

He used to help us practice for fights. He had such an eye for detail because of what he had done for so many years. You only have to watch the guy on TV to see how passionate he is. That would be a great start if I could channel that passion into fighting for wildlife.

Kyle Noke, UFC Fighter

 (Source: The Mac Life)

Steve Irwin the Crocodile Man versus Vin Diesel

Irwin hired Noke as part of his security team after the Australian television icon became interested in mixed martial arts and wanted to train with someone who possessed similar skills. And according to Noke, who spoke on a recent episode of the GrangeTV podcast, Irwin was so passionate about the combat sport that he was willing to give up his lucrative TV job.

Image from TheMaclife