Irshaad Ally launches Undisputed MMA Championship to uplift Cape Town youth

South African actor Irshaad Ally, best known for his role as Rhafiek in the Afrikaans TV series Suidooster, is stepping back into the community, not on screen, but inside the cage. On 29 November, the Undisputed MMA Championship (UMC) launches at Oaklands High School, a new fight night initiative that blends Cape Town talent, showmanship, and youth upliftment.

UMC is a partnership between Ally and Fidaah Edries, owner of Fighterz Inc Gym. The pair’s journey into community development began years ago while volunteering at the Mustadafin Foundation, where they used drama and martial arts as interventions for vulnerable youth.

That work, Ally says, shaped his understanding of how discipline-based sports can transform young people, often written off by society.

“You get kids that need a lift. Kids that don’t have much. And the stories they carry… I wish I could share them, but those are personal things,” he explained. “They are incredible stories of overcoming, of still battling through issues and then using this sport to build themselves.”

Despite the perception of MMA as violent, Ally believes it instills structure and respect in a way few environments can.

“Yes, there’s punching in the face and aggression, but there’s a respect there. I walk into the gym and fighters I don’t even know will bow, they’ll say ‘coach’ or ‘Irshaad’. The respect is real,” he said.

“The discipline is important cleaning the gym, packing away gloves, sweeping the floor. We are developing young people, teaching them how to be respectful and respectable.”

For Ally, this work is deeply personal. During his time mentoring youth in the early 2000s, he and Edries identified troubled teens at Mountview High in Hanover Park and used drama and martial arts to redirect their energy.

“We took the ‘worst kids’, mentored them, taught them drama and martial arts. Some loved the acting, but the others… the martial arts stuck,” he said.

“We got kids back into school, even into private schools. And Fidaah eventually opened his own gym. Those seeds we planted and this event is part of that journey.”

UMC positions itself as a distinctly Cape Town production.

“What makes UMC different is the fact that it’s a genuinely Cape Town event,” Ally said. “Our fighters usually have to travel as far as Malmesbury, Blouberg and Sunningdale. But this time, Cape Town hosts its own show.”

"The timing is perfect," he said.

Drikus du Plessis recently launched his own Cape Town-based fight event.

“We didn’t know Drikus was bringing out his event, but it’s good for the sport. The more Cape Town gets, the better for everyone,” Ally said.

UMC’s fight card features rising fighters from across the city and beyond. The night won’t just be about combat, it’s designed as a full entertainment experience.

“It’s a little bit of a show. We’re doing it as professionally as we can. There’ll be some celebrities, Suidooster actors, influencers… it’s going to be one heck of a fun night.”

Ally will double as ring announcer and director of the event’s TV-style production, which will be filmed professionally for release on YouTube.

“The first time I ever ring-announced, I realised it’s theatre. The music, the timing, the rhythm everything has to hit the beat. By the third event, we were waxed,” he laughed.

“Now we’re taking that experience into MMA. It’ll look like what you see on TV. I’ve got industry people stepping in and I’ll be directing them.”

At its core, UMC remains an extension of what Ally and Edries started years ago: providing young people structure, discipline and community.

“I’m not a coach there, but I’m part of the family,” Ally said. 

“We want to develop these kids. We have to keep an eye on them, especially with the drug issues we see daily. But they are committed to staying late, locking up, and supporting each other.

“We’re shining a spotlight on new talent,” Ally said. “This is sport, showmanship, and community upliftment all in one.”

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