South African mixed martial arts continues to grow as Glenwood High School duo Ryan Govender and Dayne Jordan are set to represent Team South Africa in the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Youth MMA World Championships. The tournament takes place in Abu Dhabi between August 2–5.
Ryan, 15, said his transition to MMA was influenced by Irish fighter Conor “The Notorious” McGregor. After seeing McGregor “smash everybody”, he said he transitioned to MMA in 2020 in hopes of emulating McGregor.
Before making the move to MMA, Ryan said he had been involved in karate for several years, competing since he was 4. Ryan is well versed in karate, jujitsu and boxing, the latter being his base platform.
He also shared his thoughts on South African fighters Dricus du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman, who are both making waves in international MMA and are set to fight in UFC 290 tomorrow (Sunday). Du Plessis will fight former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and, with a win, will be next in line for a title fight.
“Du Plessis and Saaiman have my full support and I am sure the whole of SA will support them too. I want to see him (Du Plessis) become the next champion and we all know he will make us proud. He leaves everything in the cage. Both these guys are true warriors of the sport.”
He also said Du Plessis inspired South Africans at a time the country needed it.
His dad, Dr Remone Govender, said he was proud and his son’s key attributes were his natural strength and his striking ability. This sentiment was echoed by his coaches Fatima Asmal and Michael Reimers at Silverback Gym. They said they were not surprised and praised Ryan’s work ethic and discipline.
Dayne, also 15, started in 2021 with Brazilian jujitsu (BJJ) thanks to his father, Andrew Jordan. Jujitsu focuses on submissions, grappling and fighting on the ground. Dayne said BJJ knowledge had led to victory in his only amateur MMA fight to date, a win that came via submission – a rear-naked choke.
“I am grateful for this selection because it is a reflection of my hard work. I’d like to also mention that Du Plessis has been a major influence and is my favourite fighter as his success affects South African MMA and it opens many doors for us,” he said.
Dad Andrew said he admired his son’s cardio, grappling and mindset, and that he encourages Dayne to have fun and enjoy his experience.
He added: “He must have fun but stay focused on the task at hand. He has been training extremely hard, has put in many hours of hard work and I know what he is capable of.”
Forge MMA owner and coach, and the national MMA Protea senior team coach, William Oberholzer, said he wasn’t surprised by Dayne’s success having recently won gold at the SA National Championships.
“I believe he has the ability to medal ‒ and at 15 years of age this is a great foundation for his future in the sport.“
Ryan and Dayne are set to compete in the under 72kg category.
The Independent on Saturday