Carol Ofori chats with Durban teen MMA 'wunderkind' Abigail Deneys
Can you say 'female prodigy of Dricus in the making' please...
Women's Month may be drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean we'll stop celebrating women from all walks of life.
This week, Carol Ofori welcomes a young woman to the studio—a true example of age and wisdom. Abigail Deneys, a Durban teenager from Amanzimtoti, is described as an MMA wunderkind.
At just 15, Deneys earned her spot in the sporting world after she won gold by default at the World Youth MMA Championship for South Africa in the 77kg class.
She has also distinguished herself from the rest by adopting a "messy" fighting style, much like South Africa's Middleweight Champion, Dricus Du Plessis, aka 'Stillknocks'.
I really wish I could have fought in Abu Dhabi because it's not about medals for me. I genuinely enjoy getting into that cage and on the mat and just fighting. I feel like if I got the chance to fight, whether I got the gold or not, I would have been happy. Getting it by default kind of makes me feel like I cheated.
Deneys admitted she wasn't fully proud of winning by default; she would've enjoyed being in the ring and showing off her skills. And to think Deneys admitted to not enjoying MMA at first...
Having joined the gym a year ago, under the mentorship and training of her coaches Greg Thomas and Amanda Lino from Bushido Gym in Amanzimtoti, Deneys has her eyes set on leaving a mark in the world of MMA.
Many teenagers can relate to Abigail's story. She was bullied and decided to learn how to stand up for herself. She started her MMA journey on 14 August 2024 and was just two weeks into her training when she competed in her first boxing competition, where she won gold.
She said: "My coach always told me that I'm gonna be a champion and that I have a natural talent for MMA. I achieved my Protea colours at 14 with just 11 months of training, and I was chosen to go to Angola from the 4th to the 10th of May with 10 months of training, but I couldn't go."
We asked Nick Tatham, our sports go-to, for a few words, and this is what he said.
To have a young, local woman thriving in what is traditionally a male-dominated sport is inspiring. Abigail has harnessed the energy from a terrible situation to forge a future in one of the world’s most popular combat sports. To be compared to someone like former World Champion Drikus du Plessis is a massive compliment, and if she can emulate his rise through the sport, she has an incredibly bright future.
Deneys' mother shared how bad the bullying got and how it left them heartbroken.
"It was really heartbreaking for us as a family. Abby will be a bit modest about it, but it actually got quite bad at school. She was picked on a lot because she is bit on the chubby side. And as a mother, I never wanted to tell my daughter that she was not the correct weight or that she needs to go on a diet. It is also something I struggled with as a person. I just told her that she needs to stand up for herself and that she can't just take it," her mother told Sunday Tribune.
Her brother, Aiden, who was diagnosed with ADHD, began MMA to help stimulate his mind, and this is how it became a family sport that they all tried together.
Deneys is committed to her journey in MMA and hopes to end up in the UFC one day.
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