Jesse James Parr: Carrying the Gunslinger Legacy Into MMA

Jesse James Parr is preparing to carry one of Australian combat sports’ most famous names into mixed martial arts. The son of ten-time Muay Thai world champion John Wayne Parr will make his amateur MMA debut against Lakota Daniel at Eternal MMA 108 on August 1. Jesse opens up about growing up inside the Parr fighting family, taking over the Gunslinger nickname, dealing with the pressure surrounding his debut and why he believes he can eventually reach the UFC. He also discusses his years of Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition, training alongside his father, the physical cost of combat sports and his goal of becoming one of Australia’s greatest mixed martial artists. Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 05:18 - Carrying John Wayne Parr’s legacy 08:56 - The pressure of growing up in a famous fighting family 10:23 - Growing up surrounded by martial arts 13:18 - Did his parents ever try to stop him from fighting? 15:38 - John Wayne Parr’s health and the physical cost of combat sports 18:19 - Why Jesse James Parr chose Brazilian jiu-jitsu 23:12 - How Jesse combines Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu and MMA training 26:29 - The hype surrounding his MMA debut 32:18 - Why Jesse decided now was the right time for MMA 35:43 - Jasmine Parr and the next generation of the Parr family 38:46 - How his Eternal MMA debut came together 40:27 - Amateur plans and the goal of reaching the UFC 41:54 - Alexander Volkanovski’s support and dealing with expectations 43:19 - Breaking down his fight with Lakota Daniel 44:31 - How Jesse wants to be remembered Subscribe to Australian MMA for interviews, news and stories from across the Australian combat sports scene. For more visit: www.australianmma.com.au