White River resident and Lowveld slapfighter Jaco ‘Grootwit’ Marneweck is all set and ready to make his Power Slap debut, having carried out the pre-fight weigh-in on October 30.

Fighting in the super heavyweight division, Grootwit underwent his weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and came in at 391 lbs (177.36kg) on the scale. This is significantly lighter than his opponent in the fight, Russian slap fighter Denis ‘Big Papa’ Vildanov, who weighed in at 468 lbs (212.28kg).

Grootwit is chomping at the bit to make the most of the opportunity. “I am so ready, I’m more prepared than I’ve ever been and I’m extremely excited to take the shots and, of course, to dish a few out,” he said.

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“I think, for me, the biggest factor has been the mental preparation and that I’ve really got down. So I feel ready, I feel prepared and lus to dish out a few ‘PKs’.”

The gravity of the moment is not lost on Marneweck, though. “It’s such a big privilege for me to not only represent the country, but also the Lowveld, on the biggest stage. I’m also so immensely grateful for the support and love I’ve received from back home, thank you!”

The main card of Power Slap 17 begins at 19:00 CAT on October 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Marneweck’s three-round fight will be the sixth fight on the non-live preliminary card ahead of the main fight card, which will be broadcast live on YouTube. Fights on the preliminary card are, however, still recorded and will be broadcast on YouTube at a later stage.