Outside the obvious fact that both UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira and the man many consider the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, are elite athletes, you wouldn’t necessarily think there would be any connection between the two.
But there is a connection. A Samoan connection. Both men contracted the services of Samoan bodyguard Harry Crichton when they toured Australia this year.
After Pereira delivered the devastating knockout head kick to Jiri Prochazka early in the second round of their main event fight at UFC 303 in Las Vegas on June 29, Crichton sent a congratulatory text to Pereira’s head trainer Plinio Cruz.
“Plinio and Alex are honorary uso’s (brothers),” Crichton explained
“I was doing close protection security detail for Alex and his team when they were in Australia doing seminars, appearances and talks and they received a small taste of our island hospitality and culture when they were in Brisbane.”
It’s not the first time the UFC champion has toured Australia. Pereira had been down under in 2023 and Crichton had picked up both security details through being headhunted by a talent agent/promoter and word of mouth.
“We were on our way to the ‘Tap in Pasifika’ event when Alex got the call that he was confirmed to headline UFC 303 after the McGregor vs Chandler fight was cancelled,” recalled Crichton.
“UFC 303 was only a couple of weeks away at that point, but I had no doubt Pereira would get the win. He stays in shape at all times from what I’ve seen being with him on the road.
“Whether it’s two months or two weeks’ notice, Alex and the team around him are ready for those challenges.”
‘We look after our people’
In the Samoan language, the saying “Fa’amalumalu o aiga” means to “shelter or protect your family”.
Fa’amalumalu o aiga is also a system in every village of Samoa in which a group of matai (chiefs) act as guardians to protect the family and village from outside influences or attacks.
For Crichton and his business partners Anton Chand and Cess Uale, their Samoan culture and guiding principles like ‘Fa’amalumalu o aiga’ have helped set their business, Uso’s Keeper Protection, apart.
Crichton said in Samoan culture, it was important to look at each other in terms of the village, the family, and the clan, then take that view into the cut-throat business world.
“Our culture and where we are as a people teaches us to have values that translate into running a company, it comes down to breaking down our company’s name,” he said.
“We look after our village; we look after our people, and that’s the name of our company, ‘I am my uso’s (brother’s) keeper’ and that’s our motto.”
Harry and his team also looked after recently retired NFL player Tom Brady earlier this year, although he said there wasn’t the same opportunity to share aspects of his culture directly with him as he’d been able to do with Pereira.
“He just asked about AFL, cricket and how big those sports are in Australia.”
How it started
Crichton grew up living around the Anaheim, Fullerton and Orange County areas of Southern California as a child before living in Samoa for some years. During high school, he moved back to the US and lived in Long Beach before a family tragedy initiated a change in direction.
“My brother died in a drive-by shooting, so going through that drama I decided to head out to New Zealand during my uni years to get away from that. I met my wife here and we’ve been together ever since,” Crichton said.
He had been working security jobs alongside other friends in the industry on his own, but a chance meeting with a friend in hospital – Shamir – and a couple of the other men in the industry sparked the idea for Uso’s Keeper Protection.
Established at the beginning of 2019, the company has grown and expanded quickly since its inception, running close protection (CP) for a host of stars like Brady and Pereira as well as moving into managing large-scale events.
The extra responsibility that comes with those roles is something Crichton described as a highlight.
He was security manager for Juicy Fest in Christchurch and One Love in Tauranga, events that drew tens of thousands of music fans over the summer in New Zealand.
“Just being able to liaise with the different stakeholders – police, council, promoters, contractors, sub-contractors – and being able to put on a show successfully from beginning to end … all of that comes into being security manager for a festival, that would definitely be a highlight, stepping into that role.”
How it’s going …
The company’s strong reputation for its services has also seen Crichton travel to a growing list of countries to keep people safe.
“For us lately, just off the top of my head, America, Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Bali, all around New Zealand, touring Australia a lot nationwide,” he said.
They are experiences and opportunities that the team are grateful for, but they come with sacrifices.
“People don’t realise that taking on gigs overseas, it’s time away from family,” he said.
“When you take on these CP gigs, it’s a lot of time away and you’ve got to understand what you’re taking onboard.”
While Uso’s Keeper Protection provides protection services to their clients, the culture and values that guide their vision mean they are also committed to the sheltering and nurturing of their staff.
Crichton made a point to mention that the progression of the people they work with has been the most satisfying part of leading the team.
“It’s really been awesome to see some of our senior guys sort of … blossom and become leaders of their own right,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we want to see our guys grow and, whatever direction it goes, we support them, and so that’s been awesome to see, some of our guys branch off and do their own thing.”
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