Martial artists fight for different reasons. Often, the most driven are those who fight for a deeper cause.
Cape Town’s Riaan Boois is cut from such cloth.
Growing up in Kleinvlei, Eerste River, Boois took to martial arts at the tender age of seven, using the discipline as a conduit to build up his life, honing his skills and steering clear from the negative elements that continue to destroy many youngsters growing up in the Western Cape.
“My goal for combat sports is to help develop the new generation of fighters to use that same blueprint for others in the future. While I am also still striving to become a champion as a fighter, I too want to show the kids in my environment that there is life outside of gang violence and drugs,” says the head owner of Viper MMA.
Boois has competed in various tournaments thus far, including the VK1 Pro Kickboxing League, RCFA and the Thaiholics Fight Promotion.
After earning a 2021 Western Cape bronze medal and a 2nd-degree kickboxing brown belt, the Muay Thai and kickboxing specialist is now set to compete in one of the biggest fights of his career when he headlines the K1 section of this weekend’s PFC ‘The Comeback’ K1 card with one of South Africa’s most decorated athletes, Wade Hammond, in a professional super middleweight fight.
The event will take place at Camps Bay High School this Saturday.
Hammond is a former Cape Fight League K1 champion, a former PFC K1 champion, a Western Cape K1 champion, and a former National K1 champion.
The task that lies before Boois is one that he relishes and aims to make the most of, especially considering the magnitude of the moment, with the Professional Fighting Championship making its comeback after four years.
“What an honour it is for me to headline a card for this promotion. I have known the PFC brand since I came into the game, and I have seen many champions come from this promotion.
“To be standing across a legend like Wade Hammond is an honour for me, and I am pretty excited,” added Boois.
In partnership with Tri-Core, Ring Contact Fighting Arts, and Fight Africa, the PFC will host three fight cards showcasing MMA, boxing, and K1 (kickboxing) with a total of 22 fights.
The boxing card will be headlined by a ladies’ PFC bantamweight title fight between Aayesha Majiet and Lisolethu Majalisa, while the MMA section will see Jelais Kitoubou take on Zaakir Parker for the PFC featherweight title.
* Stay tuned to MzansiMMA’s social pages for more updates.