South African martial arts phenom Bokang Masunyane.
B
okang “Little Giant” Masunyane will be up for the biggest fight of his career against the American grappling ace, Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks at the ONE: Eersel vs Sadikovic event on April 22 in Singapore Indoor Stadium. However, this is not the hardest obstacle he has faced in his life.
Masunyane will extend his undefeated mixed martial arts record to 9-0 while securing a world title shot should he overcome his upcoming adversary.
The 27-year-old Johannesburg native had a hard upbringing. Born in Lesotho, he was orphaned at an early age and was placed in an orphanage along with his siblings. Despite the sudden change of environment growing up, the ever-positive Masunyane always looks at what he gained from the experience.
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“To be honest, I did have bad times, but I mostly stay positive and remember all the good times that I experienced,” said the athlete. “For me, I think [the experience] led me to discover myself and what I love.”
Despite trying his best in the classroom, Little Giant did not fare too well academically. He instead devoted his time to polishing his athletic gifts, which he excelled at. Masyunane was an impressive soccer player and gymnast, but he found his passion when he got into an altercation in the playground when he was seven.
“I was with my friends on the jungle gym when another kid said something to him which I couldn’t recall now,” he explained. “When they kicked my friend, it triggered me so I threw him off the jungle gym and sat on him while punching him.”
“My cousin stopped me from beating him worse and convinced me to try out wrestling, and that is how I started my wrestling journey.”
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Masunyane dedicated himself to wrestling and earned several accolades through his freestyle grappling career, including winning three African Championships, and winning 23 National Titles. Although he gained recognition with his prowess in the sport, he understood that he could not sustain himself with wrestling and transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMAs).
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Despite his excellence in martial arts, he has had to battle himself to overcome his self-doubt caused by him being raised in the orphanage system. He found that it was hard for him to become a part of the world outside of his orphanage.
“Coming from the orphanage I felt like I was left out, and I really felt like I was behind on everything in life,” he explained.
“Everything in the world changes, but I just went from the orphanage to school and back again, when I finally got to the real world, I felt uncomfortable.”
“I had to battle my insecurities and become confident in myself, and know that I am just a part of the bigger world.”
Now, the South African phenom wants to show children in the same situation as him that they can achieve their dreams, even if they began their lives with fewer privileges and opportunities. He believes that his inclusion in ONE is the key to motivating others to reach for greater goals.
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“The fact that I’m fighting for ONE – the best MMA promotion in the world – means I’m competing at the highest level, and I believe that I can become a World Champion,” he said.
“This will show the children of orphanages that it is possible to get better conditions if you make the right choices and stay consistent, this will also motivate those around me too.”
Watch ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on April 22 at ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship