Khayelitsha’s Nkalashe refuses to fold and powers through MMA debut win

When it comes to contact sports, boxing remains the most prominent, or at least the most popular, among many Kasi kids.

But the surge of MMA in recent years has the potential to change that narrative, and it could very well become the sport of choice for many.

A lot of people involved in mixed martial arts usually have stories of how they got into the sport by chance or luck, if you may.

In fact, in many sporting codes, it’s not unusual to hear success stories of athletes who went on to achieve great things in a sport that was never really popular in the areas they grew up in.

Take Buhle Nkalashe from Khayelitsha, for example. At 31, one would think he is not at the stage to start competing for the first time, but when it comes to practising MMA, one is never too young or too old.

The Ilitha Park-based martial artist only discovered MMA through a UFC video game, and he was hooked immediately. Four years ago, he made his way to House of Combat, an MMA gym based in the city centre, and after falling in love with martial arts training, he decided to test himself in a competitive setting by taking an actual fight.

Luckily, along came Undisputed MMA Championships with their first event hosted in Kenwyn this past Saturday.

Nkalashe was rocked, dropped, and nearly choked in the fight, but when the final bell rang, his hand was raised after a very entertaining bout against Jaydin Clarke.

Asked about surviving the bombs Clarke was throwing at him, he said it was his first fight, and he simply refused to go out the way his opponent wanted.

“I just told myself, not like this. This is not going to end like this on my first fight, so I just rallied through,” he said.

He said this is part of what he has learned in his four years of training MMA, the belief in himself and the ability to dig out of what seem like impossible situations.

“MMA has given me a mindset that made me believe in myself, and that’s something I can share with kids coming from the same area as me. I can trust myself to do anything,” he said.

Nkalashe hopes to continue showcasing his skills in the MMA scene, and having made his first cage walk at the weekend, nothing stands in his way of pursuing his new dream of competitive fighting.