Eternal 102 shapes as one of the most important Australian MMA cards of the year, with UFC matchmakers in attendance and multiple title fights carrying global implications. From championship bouts to sleeper matchups with major upside, here’s a full fight-by-fight breakdown of the entire card.
Be sure to check out Eternal 102 on UFC Fight Pass, starting live at 1 am Eastern this Saturday.
Darcy Vendy (8-3) v ‘Chili’ Kancharee (1-1)
Eternal Middleweight Championship
On paper, this fight frankly doesn’t make much sense, but in reality, there were really no other options for Vendy given that he wanted to fight on this card in front of the UFC matchmakers. One of the most highly touted fighters in the region, Vendy has been turned down by multiple international opponents (particularly from Canada), and the only man willing to step up was Chili, who is coming off an upset 8-second knockout victory over the credentialled Khan Deatta at Eternal 95.
Despite his lack of MMA experience, Chili is a credentialled striker with a mountain of Muay Thai experience and genuine fight-ending power in his hands. He has the capacity to provide an entertaining matchup against Vendy, but he will be undersized in this spot against a dangerous Vendy, who himself is coming off the Eternal Knockout of the Year over Blair Bretag in his most recent title defence.
Vendy needs to win this fight, not only in impressive fashion, but quickly in order to make a strong impression on the UFC matchmakers who will be in attendance, and there in large part to see him fight. It’s a shame it isn’t against more credentialed opposition, but you can only beat who’s put in front of you. Being on this card is important for Vendy’s chances of making the UFC roster, and Chili was the only person who said yes, so you sometimes have to just play the ball as it lies.
With that said, Vendy needs to finish Chili in the first round and make a real statement in what on paper should be a step down in competition from the quality opposition he has been facing to date. Nothing less is acceptable in this spot against an undersized opponent with significantly less MMA experience, particularly when this is in front of the UFC matchmakers, and this is a pseudo DWCS audition spot.
Matty Iann (3-0) v Ben Watson (9-2)
Eternal Interim Bantamweight Championship
Having captured Interim Bantamweight Gold at Eternal 96 against the impressive Connor Birch, Matty Iann has inarguably cemented himself as one of the most exciting prospects in Australian MMA today.
Forged and moulded at Australian Top Team under the late Suman Mokhtarian, and now further refining his game with quality sparring partners at Sydney West Martial Arts, Iann has long been a name on the minds of Australian MMA fans as someone with sky-high potential, and recently featured at #6 in my Top 10 ANZAC Prospects with <5 Pro Fights, as well as #10 on my Overall Top 10. He is fundamentally and technically sound on both the ground and the feet, exploiting his physicality, speed, and smarts to break and ultimately dominate his opponents en route to victory. Iann forces his opponents into mistakes and then relentlessly punishes them, and with an exponentially improving game, Iann consistently proves why he deserves to be held in such high regard.
Standing in his way, however, is ‘The Wanderer’, Ben Watson, who recently returned from a six-year absence with an emphatic first-round submission victory over Yuki Angdembe. Watson stands to be the most experienced and credentialled opponent to date that Iann has faced. Having already fought for the Eternal Bantamweight Title in 2019, where he lost to Mitch Martin by split decision, Watson is no stranger to the bright lights and will undoubtedly be prepared for war against the young upstart.
A win here would further set up a coveted unification bout against Kuya Ito, who got back into the winner’s column in December when he claimed the Grachan Bantamweight Title after a unanimous decision loss to Sim Kai Xiong in the Road to UFC tournament.
Anthony Drilich (10-2) v Joseph Larcinese (4-0)
Eternal Flyweight Championship
A matchup that for so long has felt like an eventual inevitability, fans are in for a treat when ‘Big Sexy’ Joseph Larcinese takes on the highly-credentialled former DWCS competitor and multi-time Eternal Flyweight Champ Ant Drilich.
Drilich is a name many will remember from his Contenders Series loss to fellow Australian Sean Gauci, where he was ultimately out-grappled over the course of 15 minutes in a bout that earned neither a contract. A credentialed, technical striker with devastating power, Drilich has fought and beaten the best flyweights this side of the world has to offer, turning away top competition from the likes of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, often by finish.
In what, at least on paper, stands to be a similar stylistic matchup of grappler v striker to his DWCS bout,  it will be interesting to see what lessons, if any, Drilich has taken from that fight that he can apply to help him to victory. With such a strong team behind him in Ben Vickers’ Scrappy MMA, it would be surprising if we don’t see Drilich show improvements in these areas, particularly given the types of coaches and sparring partners who would have come through for Jack Della Maddalena’s training camps against Gilbert Burns, Belal Muhammad, and, more recently, Islam Makhachev.
However, standing across the cage from Drilich will be arguably one of his hardest opponents to date: the undefeated Joseph Larcinese, who has been on a rapid rise and is now inarguably one of the top emerging prospects Flyweight has to offer. Larcinese recently featured as #8 on my ‘Top 10 ANZAC Fighters with <5 Pro Fights List’, which frankly doesn’t even do him justice given just how many quality fighters qualified for that list, as well as an honourable mention for the Overall Top 10.
Sporting a combined 8-0 record across his professional and amateur careers, ‘Big Sexy’ has consistently beaten off an ever-improving cast of competition, finishing off former Eternal and Diamondback Flyweight Champion Frank Jankowski, respected power striker Oden Muscat, former Diamondback Amateur Flyweight Champion Zac Gregson, and IMMAF Oceania Gold Medallist Troy Fumo. Larcinese has passed each increasingly difficult test with flying colours, and less than four years from the date of his first amateur bout, he now finds himself with an opportunity to make himself undeniable for an opportunity on either DWCS or the Road to UFC tournament.
With so much on the line for both fighters, this stands out as the most intriguing matchup on the entire card that has immediate and global ramifications for whoever can manage to edge out the victory.
Luke Dally (4-2) Â v Matt Fordham (4-0)
Lightweight Top Contenders Matchup
This is not only a pivotal match to shape the Lightweight division in Australia, but also a battle between two of the coolest nicknames in Australian regional MMA as ‘The Diamond’ Luke Dally takes on ‘The Marauder’ Matt Fordham.
A product of John Campbell’s Infinite MMA and a core training partner for the champion, Harry Webb, Dally is coming off an impressive knockout victory over Abdalla Biayda after slowly building momentum with a series of impressive wins, including a twister submission over Jordan Thomas. Despite a setback to the highly talented and recent PFL signee David Martinez, Dally has never been afraid of a challenge, having been involved in important fights practically throughout his entire MMA run. A former Path to HEX and Demolition amateur champion, Dally has shown he can grapple with some of the best in the country, and working with such a talented striker in Harry Webb is a very good way to further build his standup game.
Standing across from him is my #7-ranked ANZAC Prospect with <5 Pro Fights and honourable mention recipient for the Overall Top 10 in Matt Fordham, who stands to cement himself as one of the top fighters in the country with a win. Victory over Dally represents not only an important win against arguably his toughest opponent on paper to date, but it would give Dally a win over the champion’s camp and set the stage for a coveted Webb v Fordham title fight.
Sporting an undefeated record across both his amateur and professional careers despite fighting some of the strongest regional Lightweight competition in Australia, Fordham is a relentless grappler who, with each outing, has revealed greater confidence, composure, and tactical clarity in his game. With the exponential improvements we’ve already seen from Fordham in such a short space of time, it will be interesting to see how his game has evolved from his last matchup, where he got an impressive win over the tough Niam Stephen, who is significantly better than his record would suggest.
This is a grappler v grappler matchup, so it will be incredibly interesting to see how this plays out. I hope we get to see them on the ground for portions, but I also feel like this is a good opportunity for either man to really showcase the strides they’ve made in their striking. Whoever emerges victorious in this bout will put themselves firmly in the frame for a significant opportunity in their next fight, likely for a title or a global opportunity such as DWCS or the Road to UFC Tournament.
Justin Van Heerden (17-9) v Jesse Swain (2-0)
Featherweight Top Contenders Matchup
A fight that materialised from a back-and-forth in an Instagram comments section, this fight for me is one of the most interesting on the entire card, with the experienced, gritty veteran in Van Heerden taking on the young, flashy upstart in Swain.
JVH is a genuine legend of the Australian regional scene, having fought practically everyone there is to have fought. Think of any relevant 145er from Australia or New Zealand who has fought regionally in the last six years, and JVH has either fought or been scheduled to fight them. An aggressive and credentialled grappler with a sneaky technical striking game, JVH has proven to be one of the toughest tests you can find regionally at Featherweight for almost six years now. This is all not to mention that he is also an incredibly humble, respectful, and generally great bloke who is down to fight anyone, anywhere (as evidenced by him taking this fight) – there really isn’t much, if anything to dislike about JVH who’s thoroughly earned this reputation through the blood, sweat and tears he’s shed over the years.
While clearly far less experienced in his career, Swain is undoubtedly worthy competition due to his devastatingly powerful striking that could have seen him skyrocket into contention following a two-year absence from his last amateur bout. Swain has some impressive amateur victories over guys like Perci Mwambi, Brad Fulmer, and Zac O’Brien – a particularly impressive three-fight stretch that saw him become an Urban Fight Night double champion at both Bantamweight and Featherweight. Since turning professional at the start of 2025, Swain has finished both his fights in a combined two minutes, generating a ton of attention through his vicious and exciting fighting style. A product of the late Suman Moktarian, Swain is sure to be technically sound and well-drilled with a strong grappling base that he may need to employ against JVH.
In a matchup of high-level experience vs exuberant, unbridled youth, it will be very interesting to see how this ultimately plays out in what shapes to be a potentially defining spot for Jesse Swain if he can come out ahead.
Michael Alsop (2-0) v Perci Mwambi (3-1)
Flyweight Top Contenders Matchup
Alsop v Mwambi is set to be a pivotal clash in the Flyweight Division that will almost certainly provide us with the next title challenger, particularly with the belt on the line later in the card. Both highly touted amateurs who have held gold, both these men should be intimately familiar with each other’s games, having known this fight was likely to happen at some point or another.
Having only turned professional in October of 2025, Michael Alsop has burst onto the scene with two impressive knockout finishes in as many months, having impressively fought on Eternal 99, Eternal 101, and now Eternal 102. A product of John Campbell’s Infinite MMA, Alsop has long been seen as a top prospect, having become a regional champion with Demolition in just his third amateur fight. His two amateur losses came against highly respectable competition in Liam Gusti and Mal McDowell, and with his combined 9-2 record across his amateur and professional careers, Alsop stands to be a tough outing for anybody in the Flyweight division.
On the other hand, Perci Mwambi has been a fighter I’ve had circled for a long time following a near-flawless run in the amateur ranks, and someone who, at only 25 years old, still has a high ceiling in the sport. After losing his pro debut on ONE Championship, Mwambi has rebounded impressively, defeating solid regional competition like Ryan Jankowski and winning all three of his fights by submission. Coincidentally, Mwambi also has a combined 9-2 record across his amateur and professional careers. This does, however, shape as a big step-up in competition for Mwambi, and inarguably the best fighter he’s faced since his amateur career.
In what shapes to be a striker v grappler matchup, likely, the man who has better rounded his game out and can excel in his opponent’s perceived strength will be the one who ultimately emerges victorious. This is a fight that is sure to award the victor with significant spoils and set them up for an even bigger opportunity in their next spot – can Alsop continue to surge his way through the Flyweight in record time, or will Mwambi be able to halt his momentum in arguably the biggest fight of either man’s career?
Josh O’Brien (1-0) v Mitch Kelly (1-0)
Rising Featherweight Contenders Matchup
This is a real sleeper of a matchup, because Mitch Kelly is someone I’m particularly excited to see develop as we head into 2026.
Former IMMAF Oceania Champion and Worlds competitor, the long-hyped Kelly returned to the cage in 2025 after a two-year hiatus with a big bang, capturing the Supremacy Amateur Lightweight Title in April against an exciting prospect in Tomas Schellhammer, before winning another amateur fight and his professional debut with a big first-round knockout all before September. Having taken some time off and cross-training with the team at City Kickboxing, I’m excited to see Kelly continue his development and continue on his fast start, because if he keeps up his activity, he could be a fighter who quickly shoots himself into the global conversation.
Kelly is a relentless, aggressive grappler with improving striking. He is comfortable standing with his opponent, but it’s usually more to disguise his grappling entries so he can get the fight to where he’s most comfortable. He employs several tricky trips and throws that uproot his opponent, before unleashing crushing control and looking to either synch up a submission, or unleash damaging ground-and-pound. In what shapes as a grappler v striker matchup that sets the winner up for potentially big things, it will be interesting to see if Kelly can handle the big, punishing shots that Josh O’Brien will throw his way.
Across the cage from him is the impressive, active, and experienced Josh O’Brien, who has won all six of his professional and amateur fights by first-round knockout. As expected, he throws vicious and damaging strikes and brings an exciting fight style that has given good fighters like Dom Aston problems. O’Brien can cement himself as a fighter to keep an eye on with a win here over well-credentialled opposition.
Christian Lapham (3-0) v Seb Temesi (4-4)
Top Middleweight Contenders Matchup
In a thin Middleweight division, this fight in many ways could decide who fights Darcy Vendy for the title next.
Christian Lapham has many impressive victories, including over Damian Volar, Emil Jeries, and Alfred Stoddart, which put him in good standing for a spot against the highly experienced Temesi. ‘White Lightning’ is a striker with some pop in his hands, and a fighter who has slowly but surely been making improvements to his game. He can defensively grapple and does a good job of manipulating his balance when defending the takedown, particularly against the cage. He is patient on the feet, making his reads and feinting before exploding into a pattern of big strikes that he looks to do damage with.
Across the cage is the gritty veteran Seb Temesi, who is better than his 4-4 record suggests. Two of his losses are to former champion John Martin Fraser and UFC fighter Jacob Malkoun, and he holds some impressive wins over Dan Currie. Making his second appearance after a 4-year hiatus, broken in May of 2025, Temesi will be looking to get back in the winner’s column against the less experienced Lapham.
A win here could very well be enough for either man in a thin Middleweight Division, craving talent to face the champion Darcy Vendy.
*Alejandra Lara v Gase Sanita unfortunately postponed due to Lara’s visa not coming in time – they are hoping to rebook this fight for Eternal 103 in Perth (boo to the Australian Department of Home Affairs for taking so long to issue her visa)
** Alfred Stoddart v Connor Downey appears to also be off, with Stoddart looking for a short-notice replacement on his Instagram