MEET THE CORTEX TEAM

HEAD BOXING AND MMA STRIKING COACH

sam bastin

 Sam Bastin A veteran of 59 fights, winning Australian MMA titles and amateur state championships in boxing. Some of his accomplishments include: 14 Professional MMA fights, AN undefeated Professional boxing record of 9 wins 0 losses and one draw,  35 Amateur boxing bouts , Over 25 years of Martial arts experience, 16 years of coaching experience in Australia and abroad, Sam was the Head boxing coach at the World Renowned Tiger Muay Thai for 7 years before moving back to Australia. *He has helped develop multiple World champions in the UFC, ONE championship, Lethwei, and Boxing Sam has assisted in the development of Fighters such as, *Alex Volkanovski (UFC CHAMPION) *Dricus Duplesis (UFC CHAMPION) *Fabricio Andrade (ONE CHAMPION) *Dave Leduc (LETHWEI CHAMPION) *Ryan Ford(UBO WORLD BOXING CHAMPION) *Mark Hunt (AUSTRALIAN UFC ICON) and many others. Sam has also cornered fighters in BKFC events in Thailand, K1 events in Japan, professional MMA, professional boxing, and professional kickboxing. Since moving back to Australia Sam has Focused on building Talented Amateur and Professional Boxers where his fighters have won multiple state titles and 2 prestigious King of the Ring tournaments.  Sam leads our Boxing and MMA striking Programs here at Cortex MMA.

Zein Saliba

MMA GRAPPLING COACH 

With over a decade of coaching experience, including extensive work coaching and cornering professional MMA fighters, Zein Saliba brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Cortex MMA. Zein holds an impressive 6-0 undefeated professional MMA record and is a former Australian Fighting Championships Middleweight Champion. He is also a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter. Zein’s specialty lies in MMA grappling, and he is a NSW State Wrestling Champion and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Zein’s impressive track record, both as a coach and a competitor, speaks volumes about his dedication and skill. His comprehensive understanding of MMA, especially in grappling, makes him an invaluable asset to our team and a sought-after mentor for aspiring fighters.

Sina Farihizadeh

Head Jiu Jitsu INSTRUCTOR

Sina has been grappling for over 20 years, with 12 years of coaching experience. He takes a modern, systematic approach to coaching, always staying up to date with the latest trends in the grappling world. Beyond grappling, Sina studies high performance in various competitive fields, from established sports to Formula One racing, constantly seeking concepts to enhance his coaching and training methods. Sina began his journey with Judo in 2008, later transitioning to Jiu Jitsu after recognizing its effectiveness on the ground. To complement his No-Gi training, Sina started wrestling, ultimately winning a silver medal in the NSW State Championships. As an active competitor, Sina earned a bronze medal at the Pan Pacific Championships and has also won gold and silver medals in advanced divisions of Grappling Industries and Aus Sub Only. His high-performance approach to coaching, combined with his background in Judo, Jiu Jitsu, and wrestling, makes him a well-rounded grappling coach, perfectly suited to our No-Gi program

Leonid Zaslavsky

Olympic Level Freestyle Wrestling Instructor

Leonid (“Len”) is a former Australian wrestler, having competed at the highest level in the men’s freestyle 62 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. After a short, professional career in Mixed Martial Arts, Len has dedicated his time to his passion for wrestling, being an active official of the sport, a member of the NSW board and continuing to coach and prime prospects for elite athletic competition.

Margarita Lariego

Traditional Muay Thai instructor And strength and conditioning coach. 

With 25 years of martial arts experience, Margarita is a seasoned coach. She’s a former Muay Thai fighter who has lived and competed in Thailand, showcasing her authentic skills and deep dedication to the art.   Margarita is also a certified strength and conditioning coach who has applied her knowledge and competed in powerlifting. She has extensive experience working as a strength and conditioning coach for athletes from a variety of combat sports, including MMA, Muay Thai, Karate, Sambo, and BJJ. Margarita's practical experience in Muay Thai and powerlifting, along with her formal education in strength and conditioning programs, uniquely qualifies her as a valuable member of our team. With hands-on experience conditioning athletes across a variety of combat sports, she brings a comprehensive skill set to our program.
Beyond Muay Thai, Margarita boasts a broad martial arts background with training across various disciplines including Boxing, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, and Authentic Eskrima (Filipino stick fighting). She has traveled multiple times to traditional Eskrima academies in the Philippines to deepen her knowledge of Eskrima and its traditional techniques.                                                           Her classes are the perfect blend of hands-on demonstrations and a good dose of tough love, always pushing her students to bring out their best.