Shanelle Dyer, the 25-year-old Londoner known as "The Nightmare," is set to face American Elise Reed in a strawweight bout at the UFC event in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Dyer's UFC debut was a knockout victory over Ravena Oliveira in the second round, earning her a performance of the night bonus of $100,000. The money was a life-changing sum for Dyer, who has already started giving back to her parents for their part in helping her gravitate towards martial arts when she was younger.
Dyer grew up on a housing estate in west London, which was troubled by knife crime. Her parents encouraged her to play sports, and she eventually found her home in mixed martial arts after trying ballet, gymnastics, and football. Dyer believes she could have gone "down the wrong path" if not for her parents' encouragement.
Dyer's inspiration comes from her friend and MMA mentor Jahreau Shepherd, who was stabbed to death by his brother at his 30th birthday party in 2020. Dyer was at the party but left an hour before the incident. She has adopted Shepherd's alias to help keep his memory alive.
Dyer started her martial arts career in Muay Thai before transitioning to MMA, in which she has won seven of her eight professional fights, recording five knockouts. She is hoping for a showing against Reed as impressive as her UFC debut.
Dyer's success in reaching the UFC proves to young people in troubled neighbourhoods that there is an alternative to gang violence if you "find your niche." She said: "I have a lot of people on my estate who have found out who I am now. Walking down my estate people are like 'I can't believe you're in the UFC, you actually made it out'."
Knife crime in England and Wales fell by 21% last year, according to figures from police forces. Dyer's story is a testament to the impact that positive role models can have on young people.
Dyer will take her family to Paris after the fight, which will be the first family trip for the 25-year-old. Her parents' encouragement has come full circle, and Dyer is now giving back to them in a big way.
On Saturday, Dyer's nickname "The Nightmare" will be read out by announcer Bruce Buffer before her bout against Reed. The crowd will be watching to see if Dyer can replicate her impressive UFC debut.
Source: BBC Sports