In his thirties, Anthony Morel began his career in mixed martial arts with the goal of “having maximum fun”. As a competitor, however, the Frenchman cannot deny the “dreams of greatness” that creep into his mind when approaching the upcoming challenge.
“Of course, I think about it! I know that at heavyweight, everything can go very fast in a fight, much more than in other categories.” He qualifies, “Currently, I do not have enough of a track record to state high ambitions, so I try to keep my feet on the ground.”
Yet, there are many reasons to believe in him. Crowned French champion in freestyle, national runner-up in Greco-Roman and a multiple-time medalist in grappling, Anthony Morel boasts a great background in wrestling disciplines that provide an excellent skills base. And judging by his debut victory in MMA, acquired by a back elbow, striking does not seem to be a shortcoming for him either.

“I practice with the best on the island”

From wrestling, groundgame and boxing, the next logical step was obviously to enter the cage. His transition to mixed martial arts is rooted on the island of Reunion, 10,000 kilometers from Paris, where Anthony Morel was born, lives, and still trains, despite the infrastructure being far less developed than on the mainland.
“There are no state-of-the-art venues, and there are no big MMA clubs. But we have excellent wrestling, grappling and boxing schools, so I practice with the best on the island in every discipline!”

And even if martial arts is not yet a full-time job for him, Anthony Morel devotes himself to it fully unmotivated by material returns, aware of what sports practice has brought to him personally.
“Sport has helped me tremendously. Let’s say that I was not a child at heart, and that it led me to a better lifestyle and improved behavior. I am living proof of that. “