George Staines is not your average fighter.
In fact, he’s often more intrigued by Star Wars and watching all 1,124 episodes of Japanese anime series One Piece than getting into the cage.
Hull’s ‘Star Killer’ is undefeated in five professional MMA fightsOKTAGON MMAStaines also sometimes realises he’s ‘terrible at MMA’ during his regular sparring sessions with UFC star Paddy Pimblett.
However, the 24-year-old from Hull is far more than just a TV loving sparring partner of Pimblett’s.
He is undefeated as a professional mixed martial artist and making a huge impact on the global MMA scene under the OKTAGON MMA banner.
This weekend, Staines returns to action at OKTAGON 71 in Munich where he will face Namibia’s Hafeni Nafuka (10-2) with the opportunity to extend his win streak even further.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com ahead of the fight, ‘Star Killer’ detailed insights into training with MMA stars like Pimblett and Molly McCann, and why ending up at the UFC under Dana White is just the beginning of his ultimate goal.
“Being around them pushes me so much more… it’s very inspirational,” Staines said, speaking on those around him at his gym in Liverpool – Next Generation MMA.
The Hull native relocated to Merseyside properly last year after being invited by former UFC fighter McCann, who spotted potential in Staines based on his amateur career.
He also trains alongside the likes of Liverpool’s undefeated Cage Warriors star Luke Riley, UFC bantamweight Nathan Fletcher and Shem Rock, who also fights at OKTAGON 71 on Saturday.
“[Pimblett’s] come from nothing really,” he added. “He’s built his way up to be this global superstar… just being around him is awesome.
“Even seeing him on the mat, we’re both lightweights so we spar each other very often. [Sometimes] it’s just like, ‘S***, I am so terrible at MMA sometimes.
Staines said training with Pimblett made him realise ‘there’s a whole other level’ to MMAOKTAGON MMA / GettyGeorge Staines' professional MMA record
Undefeated
Win – Jakub Tichota via unanimous decision at OKTAGON 61 in September 2024
Win – Tomas Ciganik via unanimous decision at OKTAGON 56 in April 2024
Win – Denis Frimpong via submission (guillotine choke) at OKTAGON 48 in November 2023
Win – Armand Herczeg via submission (rear naked choke) at OKTAGON 7 in August 2023
Win – Matthew Elliot via unanimous decision at OKTAGON 7 in August 2023
“Yeah [I get humbled], especially when I first sparred with him. When I first joined the gym, I was not arrogant, but I was so dominant on the amateur scene.
“I was like, ‘I am the s***.’ There wasn’t anyone who could do anything to me.
“I sparred Paddy and I was like, ‘There’s a whole other level to this.’ It’s ridiculous.
“I always try and do as many rounds with him as I can. It’s made me come on massively because I’ve been put in spots where I’ve never been put in before by anyone.
“He’s world class at these certain positions. It’s very tough to get out of them – it’s very rare you get out of them – but when you get out of them, you’re like, ‘I’ve gotten better.’
“There’s an improvement. You got battered in the round, but you’ve maybe survived one position that you didn’t survive last week. That’s a moral victory for me personally.”
Pimblett defeated Michael Chandler at UFC 314 last month in his most recent fightGetty Staines said every time he can escape Pimblett’s clinch it’s a ‘moral victory’OKTAGON MMAStaines is just 5-0 as a professional MMA fighter having made his debut in October 2023 – but he’s got a ton of experience through years of fighting as an elite amateur.
The 24-year-old is moving quickly through the ranks and his next opponent, Nafuka, boasts a 10-2 record and is a former regional titleholder.
There’s no doubt senior representatives of the UFC will have a close eye on Staines, who is never shy when revealing his thoughts on ending up at the promotion.
“It’s always been [my ultimate goal],” he asserted. “I’ve never not once said it will be.
“UFC will always be the be all and end all for me personally. It’s like, what footballer doesn’t want to play in the Premier League?
“Everybody wants to play in the Premier League or play for Barcelona or Real Madrid or in the Spanish league.
“[But], the ultimate goal is not to just be in the UFC – it’s to win the world title.
“That is the ultimate goal, because I think a lot of people have this goal of being in the UFC. That’s it.
“I want to be in the UFC, but the ultimate goal is to be the UFC world champion. I won’t settle for anything else.”
Staines’ honesty is a breath of fresh air when it comes to MMA fighters speaking about their future.
Often you will get those who hesitate to speak about other promotions, even if their current organisation knows their true role as a stepping stone for a fighter.
Europe’s largest MMA promotion OKTAGON MMA has provided Staines with crucial experience in fighting in front of large crowds and packed stadiums.
Staines is one of the most exciting prospects in UK MMAOKTAGON MMA He’s also a huge Star Wars fanOKTAGON MMALast October, the organisation spearheaded by Pavol Neruda bettered the UFC’s all-time attendance record by selling more than 58,000 tickets for OKTAGON 62 in Frankfurt’s stadium.
That is why he often unwinds by losing his imagination in the Star Wars cinematic universe.
“I’m a huge Star Wars fan…the Mandalorian series. Boba Fett, Obi-Wan [Kenobi],” Staines concluded.
“I watched them all. I love all those different films. Transformers. The original Transformers as well.
“Lord of the Rings. My dad’s massively into Lord of the Rings, he got me into it.
“I’m a bit more branched out for sci-fi than fantasy. Anime is one of the things I watch a lot at home.
“Now I’m watching One Piece… it’s still ongoing but there’s like 1,100 episodes. I’ve just watched about 950.
“I watch a lot of different animes. I know there’s the whole weird stigma about them being weird.
“To me it’s just a cartoon, which has some sick fighting in it. As soon as I come home I’m either gaming or watching Star Wars or anime.
“I just completely disconnect from training. On a Monday, an average day for me is four hours in the gym. It’s a lot of my day.
“I don’t need to be thinking much more about MMA than four hours. The rest has to be a bit of me, a bit of downtime.”
Staines’ downtime may significantly decrease the more wins he racks up in his promising MMA career.
Don’t be surprised to see the Hull man fighting in the UFC in the very near future.
talkSPORT.com will have you covered for all things OKTAGON 71, which is live from BMW Park in Munich on Saturday night.
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