Born in Australia to parents who had fled Russia during the communist era, Lokteff lived a nomadic existence for much of his early life. He returned to Russia with his family as a child, and was subsequently sent to school in Kazakhstan. Eventually resettling in Australia, Lokteff had almost no previous competitive sports experience when he first discovered MMA watching Australia’s Foxtel. But in 2010, he walked into Brisbane’s Integrated MMA, and his speed, power, and raw athleticism quickly caught the eye of the coaching staff. He was soon invited to train as part of the pro team alongside elite Australian fighters such as Adrian Pang, Matt Cain, and Damien Brown, and made his professional debut in early 2011. In his first year as a pro, Lokteff knocked out all seven of the opponents he faced, with only one of them even making it into the second round.