05-05-2025
Knockdown! Deputy PM's cage-fighting son wins on election night
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles found his attention was divided on Saturday night. That's because there was a co-main event taking place in Logan City, Greater Brisbane – his 29-year-old son, Sam Marles, was the star of the Eternal 95 Mixed Martial Arts fight.
We were going to make analogies about the brutalities of political bloodsport on election night, but thought that a little too obvious, even for us.
The clash of events required some deft multimedia handling by Marles on perhaps the most politically important night of his career, but you can't be member for Corio, deputy prime minister and defence minister as well as a dad to four kids without mastering the juggle.
Marles expected the fight in the welterweight division about 10.30pm, so joked with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the week that Labor had to claim victory well before then. But the fight was shifted earlier and took place as media outlets were calling victory for Labor.
The politician scrambled to get the fight up on his iPad, and Labor supporters in the room took his whooping as evidence that Labor had just won an avalanche of seats – in fact Marles was cheering on his son.
And what a fight it turned out to be, according to MMA Eternal chief executive Cam O'Neill, who praised the young Marles as respectful and humble, 'the kind of athlete every promoter wants on their card – tough, skilled, and composed under pressure.
'He showed real grit on Saturday night, coming back from early adversity to earn a third-round TKO and Fight of the Night honours.
'It was a big night for the Marles family on multiple fronts, and we're thrilled Sam delivered such an electric performance on the Eternal MMA stage. It was a knockout night for the Marles family – Sam in the cage, and Richard at the polls.'
