“Fuelled by his personal mission to bring out greatness in the forgotten,
Jason is determined to change the face and landscape of MMA.”
In Africa, our greatness often lives in cracks and crevices; exposed in rare stories and sporadic accounts of excellence. No matter how talented and skilled we, the children of gold and natural riches are, our name is often forgotten when the world is called to stand up and be seen.
But there is one South African born man, Jason Van Schalkwyk, who is doing something about it in the sport world of MMA. He is making a difference by opening doors and extending opportunities for talented African athletes to go up the international ranks and be noticed for ultimate success.
Originally from Cape Town, Jason grew up in Bez Valley, Johannesburg with his father who was an amateur boxer. At five years old, he had to move when his father was sent to prison. He then lived with his mother and stepfather, a South African Boxing Champion. Martial arts and fighting were a constant in Jason’s life, even starting boxing at 6 years old. Between his father and stepfather, Jason learned toughness, courage and the ability to never quit.
Jason began his career in MMA as a fighter manager under his company Scuffle Sports Management when he saw the gap in the market. And this is where he identified the need for more African fighters.
Fuelled by his personal mission to bring out greatness in the forgotten, Jason is determined to change the face and landscape of MMA by uplifting and profiling African athletes with the talent and fortitude to go all the way to the top. One such athlete is Nkosi Ndebele.
Nkosi was raised by a single mom in Johannesburg and started martial arts as a way to learn self-defense while living in a dangerous community. Before Jason managed him, he was an amateur fighter with impressive fighting background. Shortly after, Jason and Nkosi attended the world championships together and Jason secured his
contract at BRAVE CF in South Africa. Nkosi was then catapulted into professional fighting in South Africa, Brazil and Bahrain.
When asked about Jason, Nkosi had this to say, “Jason’s got a heart for people
and he definitely wants to see other people making it in life and wants to be part of someone’s journey.He has been a good manager. He makes things happen and he makes me feel like I am a part of his life, part of his family.”
Now, Jason is widening his reach through Scuffle Search, the highly anticipated docu-reality series brought to you by Scuffle Combat. The show is due to hit our streaming screens soon and will focus on African MMA athletes who are fighting for a chance to turn pro and take their fighting to the next level. Athletes from Zambia, Nigeria, DRC, Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa will be showcasing their MMA talents. The winner will walk away with a professional multi-fight contract that will gear him for the international cage.
There is greatness in the forgotten and Jason Van Schalkwyk compels us all to remember that Africa has far more to offer the world.
Watch out for Scuffle Search coming to your screens soon.
Writer: Lerammoux
