Bluff pro fighter shares his passion
The 41-year-old has been fighting since he was seven years old has competed all over the continent and world, earning him the titles of All African Champion and world champion kickboxer.
BLUFF pro kickboxer and fighter Benny Du Plessis has fought all over the world and bagged numerous titles which inspire the many aspiring fighters that he has taken under his wing.
The 41-year-old has been fighting since he was seven years old has competed all over the continent and world, earning him the titles of All African Champion and world champion kickboxer.
Although his major of kickboxing, he dabbles in other forms of fighting as well and has competed in countless competitions all over the world, for different clubs.
He suffered a blow in his career when he was in a major car accident at the age of 23. “I was in a coma, broke my back, my septum my pelvis and my knee. I was in Addington Hospital for about six to seven months. I was off any kind of training and competing for a full year. I had to relinquish all titles because in this sport, if you can’t defend your title in six months, then unfortunately it gets repossessed. How can you be a world champion laying on your back? They told me I’d never fight again,” he said, sharing that he became suicidal at that point in his life.
“For a person who has only been recognised for who you were not what you are, it was tough. When you not a champion, nobody loves you no more. Several people around me turned their backs on me. That was a very sore pill for me to swallow. I was labelled as a champion from the age of 14. I’ve got 118 wins out of a record of 125 competitions. I would be paid appearance fees just to go watch a tournament,” reflected Benny.
Asked what drives his passion, Benny said: “How do you explain beating up someone and enjoying it? Kickboxing kept me off the streets. I was a very naughty growing up. I was a problem child. I would get good positive energy from the guys at the gym as opposed to the bad negative energy I would get outside of that environment. If you’ve got a household where mom is working 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week and your father is an alcoholic and not really present, you thrive off the little attention you do get. Fortunately I showed talent in the boxing ring and made world champion at the age of 19. I was the youngest South African to become a world champion in kickboxing. After experiencing his fair share of politics within the sport and when old age caught up with him, Benny retired as a fighter and went into training. He runs the Team Undisputed MMA Academy which based at the Harlequins Gym. The club had been active since 2011 under a different name before he and his wife Lizette took over in 2014.
The club has since produced several pro fighters an SA champ and two world champions.
“Keegan Roots is our pro fighter who won the LFS championship three years ago. He bagged the title of last fighter standing and a ridiculous cash prize. To have that under our profile is amazing and its one of the club’s biggest achievement, shared Lizette.
Benny admitted that the club has taken a hit due to lockdown. “It has ruined us as we were forced to change venues and move into our new home at Harlequins. It’s a touch and go scenario at the moment. But we’ll just keep going. I’ve trained some of the best. I’m passionate about any martial arts because of what you can learn and how you can take that into real life. The drive, discipline and dedication that one can gain from the sport will teach you to keep your head up no matter how hard life gets in reality. When I was still based at Grosvenor Boys High School, I worked with all the problem children that had been involved in petty crimes or displayed troublesome behaviour. Helping turn these children around was very fulfilling. I was also given a second chance at becoming a better person.
“I don’t care how many champions I make. To me it’s not what you do in the cage or the ring. It’s what you do outside that. Do you carry yourself with dignity and respect or are you just a lose ticket. There are so many misguided youngsters who have got the wrong example of what it means to be a fighter. My aim is to develop good, skilled and humbled fighters.
