Colby Thicknesse

Colby Thicknesse is an Australian mixed martial artist competing in the UFC's bantamweight division. The 27-year-old from New South Wales fights out of Freestyle Fighting Gym and carries the nickname "Slickness," a nod to the smooth, grinding style that has defined his run through the 135-pound ranks. He holds a professional record of 10-1-0, with his signature win coming at UFC 333 in October 2026, where he handed previously undefeated Asaf Chopurov his first career loss via split decision.

Thicknesse is part of a growing Australian contingent in the UFC, and his win over Chopurov drew a public reaction from Alex Volkanovski, a significant endorsement within the Australian MMA community. Known for his grappling and pressure fighting, he lands 3.24 significant strikes per minute with 41% accuracy, numbers that reflect a fighter who wins rounds through accumulation and control rather than one-punch finishes.

As he continues to develop in the UFC, Thicknesse remains focused on climbing the bantamweight rankings. With his youth, deep amateur background, and growing experience against international competition, he represents the next wave of Australian MMA talent making their mark on the global stage. [edit]

Colby Thicknesse was born on June 23, 1999, and came up through the Australian regional circuit, where the numbers from his amateur days are the first thing any fight fan brings up. He went 34-1 as an amateur across 35 bouts, an unusually deep résumé for an Australian prospect and the kind of record that makes matchmakers pay attention. That single amateur loss stands out precisely because everything else around it was a win.

He built his professional career in New South Wales, most notably under the Eternal MMA banner, where he compiled an undefeated record that turned him into one of the region's most talked-about bantamweights. Sherdog's coverage of his UFC signing described him as an "11-0 finisher," meaning he entered the promotion without a loss and with a reputation for ending fights rather than leaving them to the judges. That finishing instinct, combined with his grappling base, made him a sought-after signing for the UFC's 135-pound division.

Before the UFC call came, Thicknesse trained out of Freestyle Fighting Gym, a team that has produced its share of Australian talent. The regional grind in Eternal MMA gave him the rounds and the exposure he needed, and by the time he signed with the UFC, he had already established himself as one of the top bantamweights outside the promotion. His amateur and early professional career is the foundation everything since has been built on. [edit]

Thicknesse's UFC tenure began in 2023, and he has competed in the bantamweight division since. His professional record stands at 10-1-0, a mark that includes his undefeated run into the promotion and his recent victory at UFC 333.

The defining moment of his career so far came on October 24, 2026, at UFC 333, where he faced the debuting Asaf Chopurov. Chopurov entered the bout undefeated, and Thicknesse handed him his first professional loss via split decision. Championship Rounds called it a "BIG upset," while the UFC's own account described it as a "close fight" decided on the scorecards. One judge's first-round scorecard in Thicknesse's favor became a talking point among fans online, feeding the narrative that he is a fighter who wins the close rounds.

The win drew a public reaction from Alex Volkanovski, a former UFC featherweight champion and one of the most prominent Australian fighters in the sport. That kind of endorsement matters in the Australian MMA community, and it signaled that Thicknesse is being watched by the fighters who came before him. He gave a post-fight interview after the win, and the UFC's Australian social accounts posted the victory as "Victory for Slickness."

With the Chopurov win behind him, Thicknesse sits at 10-1-0 professionally and remains an active UFC bantamweight. No next bout had been announced as of late October 2026, though fan speculation online has floated names like Vince Morales and Ilia Topuria without any confirmed booking. At 27, he has time to build on the biggest win of his career. [edit]

Thicknesse's public image is built around the "Slickness" nickname and a grinding, grappling-heavy style, a combination that fits a fighter whose game runs on smooth transitions and pressure rather than raw power. He is presented by the UFC and Australian MMA media as part of a wave of Australian fighters making their mark globally, a national-representative narrative he has leaned into. His social media presence is fight-focused, using his Instagram account, @colbythicknesse, to promote bouts and share updates with fans. Media coverage tends to frame him as a developing prospect rather than a finished product, with his win over Chopurov presented as a breakthrough moment. He is not a trash-talker or a headline-chaser; his persona is that of a quiet, hard-working Australian fighter who lets his performances speak for him. [edit]

iFANN has not yet collected fame data for Colby Thicknesse, so there is no ranking to report. He is not on the September 2026 iFAMOUS Rankings flagship list. His fame is concentrated in the Australian MMA community and among UFC fans who follow the bantamweight division, rather than in the broader global celebrity landscape.

Thicknesse's fanbase does not have a formal name. He is followed on Instagram by a standard regional-fighter audience, amplified by Australian UFC social accounts and MMA media. His UFC 333 win over Asaf Chopurov generated discussion online, particularly around a judge's first-round scorecard, and the victory was shared by the UFC's Australian accounts as "Victory for Slickness." There are no documented fan campaigns, billboards, or charity drives associated with him, which is typical for a fighter at his stage. His fans are mostly Australian MMA diehards and bettors who track prospects, and they engage with him through Instagram comments and fight-week discussion on X. [edit]

A few loose ends are worth clearing up for anyone searching his name. Google's "People Also Ask" surfaces a question about "the only man to never bleed in the UFC," which has nothing to do with Thicknesse. He is also sometimes confused with Colby Covington, an American welterweight, but Thicknesse is the Australian bantamweight, and the two are not related. Autocomplete queries asking whether he was "removed from the UFC" stem from that same confusion; he is an active UFC bantamweight who won at UFC 333.

Physically, he stands 5'7" (170 cm), weighs in at 135 lbs, and carries a 69-inch reach from an orthodox stance, measurements that shape the pressure style he relies on. Fans frequently ask how old he is: born June 23, 1999, he was 27 as of late 2026. Another common search is what comes next, and as of the UFC 333 aftermath no next bout had been announced, only speculation about potential matchups.

His record itself carries a quirk. ESPN's profile header still shows a W-L-D line beginning with 9, a cached figure that predates the UFC 333 result, while Tapology and UFCStats list the current 10-1-0 mark. No major industry awards, rankings-list placements, magazine covers, or Hall of Fame honours are documented for him; his distinctions are competitive rather than ceremonial. [edit]

Colby Thicknesse keeps his family life private. Public sources, including his UFC athlete page and Instagram, do not document his parents, siblings, or any family members, and no household details have surfaced in interviews or regional coverage. What is known is that he is based in New South Wales, Australia, the state where he was born in 1999 and where he still trains out of Freestyle Fighting Gym, which functions as his fighting family and support system. Beyond that, no family stories, pets, or childhood anecdotes appear in the public record. For now, his family life remains out of the public eye, which is common for fighters at his stage of their career. [edit]

Thicknesse is associated with Freestyle Fighting Gym, his training team, and Eternal MMA, the Australian promotion where he built his record. He has shared the cage with Asaf Chopurov at UFC 333, and his win drew a public reaction from Alex Volkanovski, a fellow Australian UFC fighter. [edit]

Colby Thicknesse has not publicly confirmed any romantic relationships. MMA databases, his UFC athlete page, and his Instagram do not document a partner, spouse, or children, and no engagement or marriage has been reported. He keeps his personal life private, and no credible source reports a relationship. As of 2026, he is presumed single, though he has not commented publicly on his dating life. Any claim of a specific partner would be unsupported by available sources. [edit]

Colby Thicknesse's income comes primarily from UFC fight purses and win bonuses. As a developing bantamweight rather than a headliner, his paydays are modest by UFC standards, though his win at UFC 333 over Asaf Chopurov was likely his largest purse to date. No credible outlet has published a verified net-worth figure for him, so any number should be treated as an estimate. The iFANN Editorial Team's analysis of his earnings, sponsorship deals, and career trajectory points to a current net worth of roughly $250,000 as of 2026, a figure in the low-to-mid six figures typical of an unranked UFC bantamweight.

That figure reflects a fighter who is still early in his UFC tenure. His amateur and regional career in Australia would have generated little income, and his UFC earnings have come from a handful of fights since 2023. The Chopurov win, a main-card-adjacent bout, likely included a win bonus that boosted his annual income. Sponsorship and endorsement income is not publicly documented, and like most UFC fighters outside the top ranks, he does not have major brand deals.

His financial trajectory depends on his next few fights. A winning streak in the bantamweight division would lead to bigger purses, higher-profile matchups, and potentially a ranked opponent. For now, his net worth sits in the low-to-mid six figures, consistent with an unranked UFC bantamweight building his career. [edit]