To many, the name “Baba Yaga” conjures the image of a decrepit old witch lurking in the depths of the forest, waiting to strike fear into her prey.
However, for others, Baba Yaga refers to a fierce Italian-Australian powerhouse – a former chef from Dandenong North, determined to make his mark in the fight world.
Meet Piero Sgarioto, the Menace of Masters Combat.
Piero’s roots trace back to Ragusa, Italy, through his father, and to Australia through his mother.
He describes his upbringing as overwhelmingly positive.
With loving parents, he spent his early years playing footy and cricket.
“I absolutely loved sports and competition,” he says.
“But I was always a bit chubby. I saw myself as unfit and unathletic, which made me very self-conscious. But that self-doubt became the fuel that drove me to improve.”
At 16, Piero discovered a passion for cooking and immersed himself in Melbourne’s hospitality scene.
He trained as a chef and landed jobs along Fitzroy and Chapel Street, including high-end restaurants like Bortolotto in St Kilda.
“I was obsessed with creating great food,” he recalls. “But the chef lifestyle doesn’t always promote healthy living.”
His dedication to the industry led him to other prestigious venues such as Cafe Cucina and Il Bacaro.
Eventually, Piero opened his own café, though he sold it shortly after learning he was expecting twins.
Piero’s transition into the boxing world didn’t happen in isolation.
While working as head chef at the Mentone Hotel and Beaumaris Pavilion in 2002, he and his colleagues would frequent Underworld Gym (now Doherty’s) near Flinders Street.
They would “bash the crap out of each other in the ring,” Piero says with a laugh.
“We’d stay until 2am with our mouthguards in – just going for it. It was the best stress relief I could’ve asked for.”
Before long, he was hooked. He joined Extreme MMA under renowned trainer Chris Brown. “My main motivation was to push myself and step outside my comfort zone.
“I couldn’t shake the image of myself as that overweight kid. I needed to prove I could reach my physical potential.”
After training in MMA for a while, Piero took a break and experimented with CrossFit, but found it unfulfilling.
“Once I got bitten by the combat sports bug, there was no going back. CrossFit was fun, but it wasn’t for me.”
In 2020, Piero found his new home at FightFit Boxing Centre in Moorabbin under trainer Nick Kara.
“I loved it there. The gym became a community of amazing coaches and staff. That’s where my boxing craft truly developed.”
After losing his father in August 2020 due to illness, Piero’s perspective on life and combat changed dramatically.
“It completely shifted my mentality. I always admired my father for the kind of man he was and everything he did for me. I knew right then I had to honour his legacy.”
His father’s passing reignited his determination, prompting him to sign up for FightFit’s “Challenge” series, where participants train like professional fighters for eight weeks before stepping into the ring at Melbourne Pavilion.
Piero’s first bout ended in a decisive victory for the Italian-Aussie.
His second finished in a controversial draw after a thrilling encounter with an amateur boxer—one that many believe should have gone his way.
Though his fighting career was still in its early stages, momentum was building.
Piero entered the Masters Boxing scene, a competition format designed for fighters over 35.
After losing his first match on points, he quickly bounced back.
He won the Victorian Masters Boxing Title, followed by the Australian Masters Title.
His crowning moment came with a dominant performance at the U.S. Masters Boxing Championship in Las Vegas.
That win earned him the nickname “Baba Yaga” and secured major sponsorships.
With victories mounting, Piero received a monumental opportunity: a World Title Fight for the World Masters Boxing Title in Germany.
His opponent was Dulhac “Drago” Dragos, a towering, heavy-handed Romanian brawler.
Piero underwent 10 to 12 weeks of gruelling training under Nick Kara and Faisal Fayad at FightFit.
In October 2024, he faced Dragos in a brutal, back-and-forth six-round war.
Piero believed he had clearly won four of the rounds, but lost on points.
The result devastated him. His dream was to win the belt for his late father and place it on his tombstone.
But the story is far from over.
After building mutual respect with Drago, Piero managed to secure a rematch, this time on home soil.
The two are set to face off again on June 14 in Australia – the main card at FightFit’s 29th Challenge Event at the Melbourne Pavillion.
Now, Piero is leaving nothing to chance.
Balancing a demanding 50-hour work week and family life with his wife and children, he wakes at 4am daily, trains from 5pm to 7pm, and spars every Saturday.
The former chef plans to press the attack and walk down his opponent, as he’s done many times before.
Drago, a bare-knuckle slugger with a dangerous right hand, may not have the endurance to withstand Piero’s relentless pressure.
Despite the stakes, Piero remains focused. This will be the fight of a lifetime.
The Italian-Australian Rocky taking on Drago for the World Title.
He envisions bringing the belt home to Australia and, more importantly, laying it on his father’s grave in a final act of love and tribute.
For honour. For glory. For his father.
* Nikita Chronis works at FightFit Boxing Centre in Melbourne.
