Mixed martial artist and ex-rugby player Isi Fitikefu caught the pickleball bug right away.

The 33-year-old Tongan-Australian recently chatted with ONE Championship’s Malaysia Editor, Chris Mohan, about his love for the sport and how central it is to his life outside the gym and the ring.

“I started just before Christmas last year, November 2025. My partner, Dipz Paea, was telling me, ‘Oh, come do it, come do it.’ And I was just like, ‘Man, I don’t want to do it.’ And then I just told myself, ‘You know what, I’ll come do it,’” he explained. “I ended up loving it, and now I introduced it to my brothers and sisters, and then my kids, and now they’re falling in love with it, too.”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That first bit of skepticism quickly fades once you pick up a paddle, step onto the court, and give pickleball a try.

Fitikefu seems surprisingly confident in his skills, even after just a few months.

“Man, I’m a pickleball master. I say it to everyone. I’d like to think that I’m the Roger Federer of pickleball here in Australia,” he mentioned. “I like to think I am, really, but that’s just what I say in my head to get me pumped every time I play a game.”

Though self-belief comes naturally in his line of work, Fitikefu is just as dedicated to making pickleball a shared, family-friendly affair.

Mohan reports that Fitikefu's siblings and children - Malia, William Ross, Miya - have “embraced the game” as well, and weekly gatherings for matches “became a shared language” and a perfect opportunity to enjoy each other's company.

“It helps me take my mind off of training and mixed martial arts,” said Fitikefu. “It calms me down, it helps me switch off for days, and not only that, but, more importantly, I get to spend time with my loved ones.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean the competition is any less fierce.

There are some serious battles happening out there.

“We do have the ranking matches here, but we don’t play in those – my family is already competitive. My brother to my younger sisters, they don’t like to lose. When we play is like it feels like we’re playing for a ranking every time. We don’t want to play with others because we don’t want to scare other people,” noted Fitikefu. “As for my kids, they’re really putting up a challenge against me there. Now, it’s like I have to catch up to them because they’re getting faster and better. They’re getting sharper. They’re getting more well-rounded.”

At its core, it’s about creating the kind of childhood memories for Malia, William Ross and Miya that he didn’t get to have himself.

Mohan writes that Fitikefu grew up without a father, so he’s “committed to being present, engaged, and actively involved in his children’s lives,” and that “pickleball has become one of the ways he keeps that promise.”

“All jokes aside, it’s always fun to spend time and watch them grow, at home or on the courts,” said Fitikefu. “I never grew up with a dad. I only grew up with a single mom. And I just want to be that dad that I needed when I was a kid for my kids.”

Fitikefu is set to take on Chase “Mannimal” Mann at ONE Fight Night 39 on Friday in Thailand.

Scoring a victory and hitting the pickleball court afterward would be the perfect combo.

“I’m ready for a game when I get this fight out of the way. It’s nice to have something to do with the kids other than the usual bonding time at home or in the gym,” he concluded. “But, yeah, I’m always ready for a round of pickle.”