As MMA grows, so does the need for elite training centres. CNN visits the CIT Performance Institute in Pretoria, South Africa, led by coach Morne Visser. This state-of-the-art facility has become an MMA powerhouse, producing some of the most dominant fighters in African history, including Dricus du Plessis, the reigning UFC middleweight world champion. Visser explains the wide scope of CIT, “You surround yourself with your type of people and it's amazing what our God sends. Guys from all over the world train with us. And so, I think we're doing a good job. We've got a couple of world titles.”
Diego Bandu was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he earned the nickname, ‘PangaMan’. Bandu tells CNN what a typical MMA fight is like for him, “Every time when I step in the cage, I always say, it's between me and this guy and he's the one who's going to be a victim, not me. So, I always feel at home when I'm in the cage. I always make my opponent feel uncomfortable, it's like when you go inside the water, you’re expecting the crocodile. So, you cannot feel safe in the river. So, the same as me, when you're with me in the cage.”
Bandu’s teammate Ken ‘The Takeover’ Sekeletu hails from Zambia. Both Bandu and Sekeletu are preparing for competitive fights. Sekeletu reflects on his journey to get to the place he is at today, “Coming here, chasing the dream, chasing the goal of becoming the best fighter, the best athlete, but at the same time I still have my difficulties. When I came here, me and my friend slept in the park in Joburg. We stayed at the park almost for a week because we had no place to sleep.”
When MMA started to gain traction across Africa in the early 2000s, the South led the charge. Sekeletu describes the growth of the sport, “MMA is growing now because we’ve got amateur level, the IMF, professional level, the EFC on the continent, so now it’s growing. More people are getting involved.”
Sekeletu continues on the opportunities the EFC provides, “EFC has given lots of people that opportunity, including myself, first you fight on the EFC, you make your name for yourself, you challenge, you face different challenges, and then maybe you can go overseas and fight overseas.”
On the outskirts of major cities, less state-of-the-art ‘grassroot’ gyms are built for passion rather than profit. Professional MMA fighter and Mamelodi Warrior, Lucky ‘Hercules’ Magekha tells CNN how the lack of facilities creates a disciplined fighter, “We don't have punching bags. We don't have enough gloves to give each and every fighter. We don't have most of the weights and all that. We don't have access to those. So, we have to train without those, to be committed. Disciplined.”
A personal trainer and a coach himself, Magekha keenly shares his experience and expertise with the younger generation. He says, “MMA brings protection. Like if a kid can know how to fight, he or she can defend herself there by the street. And also, we can have a better community if each and every one or most of the people can do the discipline.”
MMA fighter and coach, Given ‘Bonecracker’ Majuba, dreams of a future where MMA fosters equality and appreciation, telling CNN, “My dream is to see a lot of fighters from South Africa. It doesn't matter which colour, but then making it to the top and leave politics aside. If politics comes inside the sports, let it be positivity. We want to see growth in our youth and our communities. So, the dream is to see everyone up there fighting on the biggest stage.”
These interviews were featured on the latest episode of Inside Africa on CNN International
https://edition.cnn.com/world/africa/inside-africa