Amanzimtoti EFC fighter goes all out to win
One of his goals was to fight in EFC and now he has his sights set on becoming an EFC champion.
Hard work and sheer dedication is what makes 22-year-old, Bradley Swanepoel, an explosive opponent. He recently competed in the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) featherweight division, which is for fighters under 66kgs. Bradley took on an international fighter, Ali Clumba who is a seasoned athlete, and bagged a win. This was only his second time taking on an international opponent.
“I’m just so humbled and blessed for all of the accomplishments I have achieved. This is due to hours and hours of hard work. I have been blessed and all these trophies are just the cherry on top but hard work and dedication to achieve my goals mean more to me. I’m constantly working hard to climb up the ladder.”
Bradley and his brother, Dylan both were inspired by their father, Morné, and took up the sport at an early age.
“I have been involved since 4-years- old and started competing at 10. This is due to hard work, dedication and I wanted to be known as the best fighter and put my name as a legendary fighter. I want to get to that status, I have a long way to get there. I’m pushing myself every single day to get there. I can only do with my father as my coach in my corner and the best team.”
The mixed martial arts (MMA) brothers built their amateur records as the most qualified amateurs competing at EFC, their records are the best of any EFC athlete before. They have won multiple amateur South African titles in MMA, Jujitsu and deep grappling. Most fighters just do it as a sport but this is not the case. It has become a lifestyle because of their father’s history. One of his goals was to fight in EFC and now he has his sights set on becoming an EFC champion. His next goal is to fight at Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).
“The brothers were bullied in school while training. They are where they are today because of the amount of time they put in. They are incredibly talented and skilled but they have nurtured this. They put in a lot of effort. If they are preparing for a fight they train seven days a week. They are incredibly passionate and are always willing to put in the extra bit of work,” said their proud father, Morné.
Bradley hopes to clear a misconception that MMA fighters are ‘thugs’.
“People have a misconception that MMA is just for thugs but we are very strict on respect and discipline. There is so much that goes into a fight. A training camp is usually about 8 weeks long but Bradley had a 12-14 week camp for his most recent fight. As a fighter, there’s never an off day. Training camps are quite intense physically and mentally. It is not just training, it is a complete lifestyle. You have a better chance of performing better if you always prepared.”
Bradley trains at Combat Coaching where he is under the leadership of his father. ALSO READ: Amanzimtoti brothers to grapple with UAE world champs jiu jitsu qualifier
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