The Comeback Story of South African MMA Star Chad Hanekom

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chad Hanekom has risen through the ranks to become one of the country's most promising MMA prospects. The dynamic middleweight fighter built his athletic foundation playing various sports as a child before focusing on rugby as a teenager.

However, Hanekom's MMA journey began after he took up martial arts at age 21 to improve his overall fitness for rugby. Within 6 months of starting MMA training, he decided to make the full transition from rugby to becoming a professional MMA fighter.

Hanekom made his professional debut in 2015 and quickly amassed an 4-0 record. In 2018, he suffered his first loss against current UFC fighter Ikram Aliskerov. However, Hanekom bounced back with two straight wins using his wrestling and grappling skills.

This earned him a title shot against Daniel Gaucho in 2019. But facing personal issues at the time, Hanekom came up short against Gaucho. The loss motivated Hanekom to redeem himself, and in 2021 he made a comeback with a second round TKO finish against Dominic Schober.

The comeback victory has reignited Hanekom's passion for MMA and he now has his sights set on capturing a middleweight title. Hanekom is an avid advocator that the mental and physical challenges of MMA are unlike any other sport.

For Hanekom, MMA has made him a calmer person yet also helped him "fuel the beast" inside the cage. Overcoming adversity has been a theme in his life from growing up in poverty to dealing with injury. And his motivation to win a title comes down to being the best version of himself.

Chad Hanekom's story shows the power of perseverance and using MMA as an outlet for self-improvement. After hitting a bump in the road, he was able to regain his focus and get back on track towards achieving his goals. His comeback continues with eyes on middleweight gold.