Mountain View resident and Hoërskool Oos-Moot learner, Cihan Geyer (16), is geared up to compete at international combat events in Abu Dhabi and Italy later this year.
Geyer qualified to compete at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) MMA Youth World Championships in August, in Abu Dhabi, as well as the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (WAKO) Kickboxing Youth World Championships in September, in Italy.
To be selected for the World South African team, Geyer had to achieve first or second place in his category at the national level. He achieved gold in both categories in the respective disciplines.
He previously represented South Africa at the 2025 IMMAF MMA Youth World Championships, where he achieved third place at the international level.
He said being selected yet again, not just for the IMMAF Champs but WAKO as well, is not only an honour and a privilege, but an opportunity to further his dreams of a career as a professional.
“I am very excited to show the world my talents and will attempt to bring home gold at the IMMAF MMA Youth World Championships,” Geyer said.
He said for the past eight years, he has been the South African champion in various categories.
“This year, I got the opportunity to represent South Africa at the WAKO Kickboxing Youth World Championships in the K1 category. This championship will benchmark my skills with the best youth fighters in the world. This opportunity can set the standard for my professional career, which I intend to pursue,” he said.
He started kickboxing at the gym when he was only four years old. He said the moment he put on the gear, he knew it’d be the sport for him.
“I still remember that I used oversized protective gear, and I felt like Superman. With the dedication of my brother, Cowun, and the patience of the other training partners, I fell in love with the attitude of the sport. The passion, patience and the willingness to help somebody who is struggling were real motivators for me,” he recalled.
Training at A Team Stars MMA and Kickboxing, he draws inspiration from some of his own teammates. He looks up to Willie van Rooyen, who signed at One Championship; Moses Mokhari, who signed at EFC and performed at EFC 135; and Asiashu Tshithamba, who signed at PFL Africa. As well as Dricus Du Plessis, who showed him that South Africans can compete and be the best in the sport.
From his coaches to family and friends, Geyer asserted that without his current support system, managing school and fighting would be a much harder burden to bear. He said sticking to a set routine of studying and training is what helps him most.
After completing high school, he plans to attend university and study to become a qualified physiotherapist while pursuing the dream of being a professional fighter and becoming the world champion in organisations like the One Championship and UFC.
“I want to become a world champion at both competitions, WAKO Kickboxing World Champion and IMMAF MMA World Champion, and be known as the best fighter in the world. This would be the first time in South African history that one athlete has medalled in both disciplines. My goal is to create history and motivate young fighters. My plans after the world championships are to become one of the youngest professional fighters in the world,” he said.
He credits his faith in God, loving parents, his coach, Nico Mothata, and training partners at the gym for all the lessons learned throughout the years that have afforded him this opportunity.
“My message to younger fighters would be that you should always trust your abilities and work hard to excel. Train hard every day and create good habits because practise does not make perfect, but practice makes habits, and you get to decide those habits. One kick practised 1 000 times is better than 1 000 kicks practised once,” he said.
Cihan’s father, Christiaan Ferdinand Geyer, said the entire extended family were overjoyed by the news of Cihan being selected for both the world championships. He said he hopes that Cihan reaches his full potential, his dreams and goals, without any major injuries.
“Cihan’s achievements are making me proud with his personal development, his attitude towards life and his instinct to grab challenges. International travel will be a wonderful experience for him and he has worked hard to achieve so much,” his father said.
“One stress is safety. In the beginning, he was struck down more than standing up due to oversized equipment and many tears along the way. I was full of empathy with a great concern about his safety,” he said.
“Today, I am more of a supporter than a coach since he knows more about the sport than I. Injuries are still a major concern.”
Currently, neither kickboxing nor MMA gets financial assistance from the state, so the entire expenses to compete internationally fall on the fighter and their family to be able to represent South Africa at the world stage.
Fundraising initiatives have been launched with the assistance of businesses in the area, but this contribution won’t come close to covering all of the expenses.
The family said any financial assistance or participation in fundraising events would be greatly appreciated and well spent.
For more information, call 082 941 6092 or cihankickboxingmma@gmail.com.
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