Van Tonder ready to shine in historic PFL Africa debut
Boksburg MMA star Shannon van Tonder secured a coveted spot on the card for the first PFL Africa event, marking a milestone in his professional career.
Boksburg Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Shannon van Tonder is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career as he prepares to face Boule Godogo of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Africa debut event in Cape Town on July 19.
The event marks the first global MMA competition hosted on the African continent, and Van Tonder is determined to make his presence felt.
It features a series of headline fights between international stars, including a heavyweight bout between Cameroonian Maxwell Djantou Nana and France’s Mickael Groguhe.
“I’m excited to be part of the very first PFL Africa event,” said Van Tonder. “I’m going to give it my all because the whole MMA world’s eyes will be on Africa on July 19.”
Ranked as the sixth pro men’s featherweight in the country, the 30-year-old goes into the bout with a record of seven wins and two losses in nine pro fights.
He’s currently on a two-match winning streak after wins over Tshepo Majuba at Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) 117 last September and Musa Sethwape at EFC 120 in December.
He faces an inexperienced but dangerous Godogo who hasn’t lost a match in his three fights. While Van Tonder is aware of the danger posed by the Congolese, he is banking on his array of skills.
“I’m always confident in my skillset because being experienced isn’t enough. I made my pro debut against a veteran and won with an incredible performance. What matters to me is the training and preparation before the fight and then delivering on fight night.”
Van Tonder got into MMA by accident and has established himself as one of the most promising featherweights in the country since turning pro after four years as an amateur.
“I started at the age of 22 at the House of Tinkerbell MMA Academy in Boksburg. Coach JP Kruger quickly turned me into an amateur champion, boasting three championship titles. I turned pro when I was 26,” he said.
The fighter looks up to former UFC lightweight champions Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier because “they came from nothing and fought their way to the top”.
Asked about his most memorable match since turning pro, Van Tonder said, “It’s the EFC 97 bout I took after a 24-hour notice against a dangerous kickboxing prospect from Pretoria. After an intense few minutes of battle, I finished him with the classic guillotine choke.”
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