Cape Town - South Africa’s Nicole van Wyk could not have asked for a better debut shot than the one given tonight at EFC 103.
The former SA National and African Flyweight champion has transitioned over to the professional leagues and will face Kenya’s hard-hitting Felista Mugo in a Flyweight bout on the main card of Africa’s premier MMA show.
It’s not every day a newbie gets a crack at the main card, and what makes it even more special for Van Wyk, is her mentor and coach, JP Kruger, who will compete in the main event of the night when he faces Conrad Seabi for the interim Middleweight title.
A handful of her teammates have come through the hands of SA’s MMA veteran in Kruger, with three House of Tinkerbell athletes now shining on the EFC roster. Peace Nguphane, Gift Walker, and Nathaniel Komana have all done well since moving from the amateur ranks earning respect in their divisions. Van Wyk will now look to keep the House of Tinkerbell name high when she makes her pro debut only a few fights before her coach graces the EFC Hexagon to make his third and possibly last shot at an EFC title.
“It’s such an honor to share the cage with my coach. I am so thankful for him. He supports me on my journey and has always been there for me. This moment means so much to me. It is truly a phenomenal opportunity to be fighting on the main card with him,” says the Flyweight athlete.
Nicole is the only female training at coach JP’s gym, a reality she feels stands her in good stead.
“Like coach JP always says, the way you train is how you fight. So obviously, if I train with the guys and the pros, I am going to get used to their level. If I train with the amateurs, I am going to remain an amateur. So that is why I don’t shy away from training with coach JP, Peace, Gift, and Nathaniel. It helps me with my strength and grit. In this game, sometimes you are the hammer, and sometimes the nail. So in the gym, I am the nail, but when I fight, I am the hammer,” chuckled Van Wyk.
The South African Flyweight star is renowned for her incredibly high-level grappling and out-maneuvering her opponents before submitting or ground-and-pounding them.
Looking forward to her bout with her fellow debutant Felista, Van Wyk is confident she has too much skill on the ground for the striker to handle.
“Felista looks fit and seems tough. I know she will bring a strong stand-up game, but I think my grappling will be too much for her on the night. It’s going to be the wrong day to try and take me down, lol.”
@JulianKiewitz