Brian Ncube: Parkland's rising star in Thai fighting
Rising star, Brian Ncube looking to take his talents to greater heights while promoting the sport of Muay Thai in Mzansi.
Image: Buntu Gotywa
There is no doubt about Brian Ncube’s talent in Muay Thai, and he continues to raise the bar with each appearance in the ring.
The Parkland-based fighter is not only excelling within the borders of Mzansi but is also making waves internationally.
The 21-year-old went to Thailand as a pro-am and returned to the country as a full professional, having made his professional debut in the country that gave birth to the sport of Muay Thai.
Nothing in this sport can be greater than that achievement, and to make it even sweeter, doing it in Muay Thai's biggest stadium, Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok.
Brian Ncube is determined to play a big role making Muay Thai in South Africa a major sport followed by many.
Image: suplied
Those clued up with this "art of eight limbs" know the importance of fighting at the mecca of Muay Thai and the significance it holds for a fighter.
That is exactly what the young fighter has achieved in his young Thai boxing career, a step that can only propel him to even greater heights.
His determination and drive are also coupled with the unwavering support of his coach, Nicholas Radley, who is determined to give the young fighter the best experience possible to take his career to the next level.
The offer to fight in the iconic stadium came on the back of his showing when he represented South Africa in the recently concluded International and Thai Martial Arts Games, where he made the quarter-finals in a tournament-style event.
He did this all while this was the first time he had even jetted out of the country.
"I lost a close decision, but then I got an offer to fight two weeks later, and that is how I got my first professional fight, which I won. If I could, I would have stayed longer because after that fight I got other offers to fight," he said.
He has plans to go back to Thailand to showcase what the best Mzansi has to offer, as he has done so on local soil.
Brian Ncube is a master of using all his given weapons when its action time.
Image: Supplied
This young pugilist is the current WMO Pro-Am SA Featherweight Champion, but now that he has made his debut in Thailand, only the sky can limit his ascend.
In May 2024, Ncube faced and won against Altaaf Armien to be crowned the WMO Pro-Am South African Featherweight champion at the Sunningdale Sports Complex.
But now that he has captured the eye of the Thai promoters, it’s only fair to assume we may not be seeing a lot of him competing locally.
If the work he has been doing abroad is anything to go by, we will soon be catching his fights on TV, competing in the world’s biggest stages from now on.
ONE Championship in Bangkok is one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world, and definitely the biggest when it comes to Muay Thai, and that sounds like a stage set for Ncube as he looks to be another name in the promotion.
Should he continue his impressive ways when he goes to Thailand, he will surely be raising the SA flag in the ONE Championship ring, where the likes of Bokang Masunyane currently fight with their SA flags.
"My goal is to try to establish and cement my name in the sport, and definitely ONE Championship is a goal where I would be joining other South African names in the promotion.
“The opportunities are not there, as a lot of people have to work other jobs while doing this. So hopefully we can play a role in paving the way for Muay Thai in South Africa to grow and to have it as a full-time career. Hopefully, I can be one with the likes of Shane Deacon to help put us on the map," said Mr Ncube.
Ncube was so impressive in his first fight in Thailand than promoters lined up to offer more fights in Mecca of Thai boxing.
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He says this because, for now, the sport is self-funded and takes a lot of effort monetarily to get to the highest level of competition, even when competing for the SA flag.
Ncube gives credit to his coach, Mr Radley, who understands completely the difficult task of making it at the highest level of Thai fighting. He has been working with Mr Radley for seven years now after joining his Thaiholics gym, where he is surrounded by other great Muay Thai fighters such as Shane Deacon.
Talking about how this became his sport of choice, Mr Ncube says it was through YouTube where he found the influence of MMA star Conor McGregor. He was particularly interested in the striking aspect of fighting; hence, Muay Thai was an easier choice to pursue.