From Diepsloot to the world, MMA star Nkosi Ndebele fights for a better life

Nkosi Ndebele grew up a humble and respectful young man in the township of Diepsloot, South Africa. Now he fights people for a living. It’s the environment he grew up in that has moulded Ndebele into one of the brightest South African stars in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Ndebele was part of the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) first venture into Africa in 2025, which culminated in him being crowned bantamweight champion in December that year. The promotion has been intentional about exploring markets that are traditionally neglected by fellow MMA promotion, Dana White’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Ndebele’s compatriot Dricus du Plessis is part of the latter promotion.

PFL Africa 2.0

With PFL Africa returning for a second season after taking its show to countries such as Rwanda and Benin, in addition to its successful debut in Cape Town, Ndebele will defend his title for the first time, on home soil. The first episode of PFL Africa season two will be held at Sun Arena at Times Square, in Pretoria, on 10 April.

Ndebele, who crawled his way up from amateur combat sports in Diepsloot to being one of the faces of the PFL Africa venture, told Daily Maverick that he was elated to be making his homecoming. He defeated Boule Godogo to clinch the title in Benin. The 31-year-old is currently based in Bali.

“Performing with the PFL, especially here in SA, is a big milestone for me. SA is where everything started for me, especially in Johannesburg. That’s my home ground. That’s where a lot of people know me, especially from my amateur days,” Ndebele told Daily Maverick.

“So, this is going to bring back a whole lot of memories. Because after turning professional, I completely disappeared from the mixed martial arts scene in SA. Only those people who are deeply invested in MMA have been able to follow my career, to see that I’m doing well,” the 31-year-old said.

“Coming back now is an opportunity to showcase my skills and my growth since I’ve been in this sport. I also want to show that SA has the talent, in front of my friends, my initial coaches and my family. I’m really excited.”

Diepsloot beginnings

Being raised by a single mother after his father died, Ndebele’s early life was underlined by hardship. Things became worse when his mother fell ill in about 2006 and could not continue working. They were then forced to move to Diepsloot township. At this point in his life, Ndebele had to step up and become “the man of the house”.

“I appreciate Diepsloot because that’s where I started understanding a whole lot about life from a very young age. It groomed me. Especially when my mom got really sick for about two years and I had to leave school and find work at the age of 11. It was not a good moment,” Ndebele said.

“Then my mom got better and told me I needed to go back to school. But I refused. I continued hustling. I used to work at the Kyalami race course, washing the cars there. It felt so good having that little bit of my own money,” the MMA fighter explained.

“In Diepsloot I was selling chickens on the street. Going back to school was not something I wanted to do. But eventually my mom won that fight, and I went back to school when I was 14 years old,” he said.

Between the gang culture in Diepsloot, as well as the bullying that he was sometimes subjected to when he eventually returned to school, Ndebele found solace in karate. It was a positive community, which taught him self-defence. But for him, the biggest takeaway from his karate days was the discipline it instilled in him.

He used that discipline to gravitate towards MMA, where he made his name in the amateur ranks initially. He joined Nova MMA in Pretoria, where he trained under JD du Plessis. His raw talent in the octagon eventually saw him leave SA’s shores altogether.

Ndebele joined Bahrain-based promotion BRAVE Combat Federation in 2017, where his hunger and will to succeed culminated in him being crowned BRAVE’s Bantamweight world champion. This after defeating American Jose “Shorty” Torres in 2023. He was the first fighter to go from an amateur debut to a world title entirely within the BRAVE ecosystem.

“I’ve never had it easy, not at all. But I’ve never used that as an excuse. It just fuelled my hunger and pushed me towards the success that I want,” Ndebele said.

PFL Africa’s vision

With PFL looking to put on another memorable season in Africa, stories such as Ndebele’s are important to show upcoming talent that it is possible to rise to the top, no matter one’s background. As PFL Africa continues to grow, that’s exactly what it is targeting in the second instalment, according to the promotion’s general manager, Elias Schulze.

“We can’t reveal too much yet. But this year we are hoping to hit all four corners of Africa,” Schulze told Daily Maverick.

“What we learnt during our first year in Africa is that this sport is truly universal. It strongly resonates with African traditions, such as indigenous fighting games. So, in that regard, there’s a natural fit with MMA on the continent,” he said.

“But during our first year, we also learnt to suit each environment a bit more. It’s not always plug and play. We realised that we have to adapt to the local realities of each country – from importing infrastructure, to the type of entertainment we provide during fight night.”

There are 11 fights scheduled when PFL Africa descends on Pretoria next month. This includes Ndebele’s fight against Italian Michele Clemente. Another South African, Justin Clarke, will fight in the heavyweight division. DM