Tara Abrahams and Ayesha Majiet Set to Make History at 'Rise of the Queen'

South Africa’s Tara Abrahams and Ayesha Majiet are set to make history this weekend, and these two warriors are embracing the moment, fully aware of the privilege and responsibility it carries.

Abrahams and Majiet will not only become the first women to compete for a Barebones Mixed Martial Arts Championship (BMC) Women’s Title, but will also be the first ladies to headline the amateur fight promotion card taking place at the Sunningdale Sports Complex in Milnerton.

Competing for the Flyweight Title under the “Rise of the Queen” banner, both athletes spoke about the magnitude of this moment — not only representing women’s MMA, but also paving the way for those who will follow.

“It really is an honor to represent women’s MMA, and I am grateful for this opportunity,” says Abrahams, who fights out of MADFit MMA in Cape Town. “I am sure many women who have entered into Barebones MC, like myself, Ayesha, and her teammates, find it difficult to get fights, so it really is a privilege.”

For her opponent, Majiet — who trains out of Fighterz Inc in Ottery — this fight is about visibility and inspiration.

“I feel like women in MMA are very underrepresented in South Africa, and it’s difficult to get a fight, so for us to get this shot, it’s a great opportunity. It will bring more attention to the sport and inspire other women who might be interested.

“I’d love to see more female fighters competing in the future and for the community to keep growing. I truly believe it’s so important for women to not only learn to fight to defend themselves, but also to step up on these platforms — to showcase our strength, power, and resilience — so that future generations can look up to us and aim to go even further,” said Majiet, known for her lethal striking, with a Rising Stars Kickboxing title to her name.

Mixed martial arts has grown rapidly across the world — and particularly in Africa — producing top female talents such as Amanda Lino, Shelda Chipito, Maria Kitoko, Juliet Ukah, Kiara Fegen, and others. Yet, the ratio of male to female fighters remains heavily imbalanced.

While South Africa consistently fields women’s divisions at IMMAF World and Africa Championships, female athletes often struggle to find local fights due to small pools of competitors and the logistical costs of travel between provinces.

BMC founder and MMA coach Lyndall Sandenbergh believes a lingering social stigma also plays a major role.

“Women are not encouraged to enter combat sports,” said Sandenbergh.

“We are encouraged to do ladylike things. Even if women are encouraged to train, I hear it hundreds of times — their families say, ‘It’s only for self-defence, they’re not actually going to fight.’

“There is still such a stigma attached to fighting for women.”

This makes Abrahams and Majiet’s achievement even more meaningful — a testament to persistence and passion.

“I am not only going to use this opportunity to bring awareness to women’s MMA, but also to showcase my skills and ability,” said a stoic Majiet, who grew up in Kenwyn in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs.

Majiet’s path to MMA began by chance: “I first started martial arts back in 2014 at Paul Caves Mixed Martial Arts. It was actually my sister’s idea — I just tagged along, but after getting a feel for it, I ended up joining too,” she recalls.

She went on to collect medals between 2015 and 2019, took a break for her studies, and later reignited her career at Fighterz Inc under coach Fidaah Edries.

“Fighterz Inc. quickly became my second home — I love my team, I love being in the gym, and honestly, I had no plans of fighting again, especially not at this level. But thanks to my coach, Fidaah Edries, I am where I am today,” says Majiet, who returns for her second MMA fight after defeating Jen Bromwich earlier this year.

“For this upcoming fight, I’m feeling very confident that I can get the knockout — but I also know anything can happen in MMA, so I’m stepping into that cage ready for absolutely anything.”

Abrahams’ journey began with more intention. Born in Empangeni and raised in Cape Town, she found her way to combat sports after more than a decade of hockey.

“I’ve always enjoyed having a coach and being in a team — I owe this to having played hockey for about 11 years, and once that ended, going to the gym every day just didn’t cut it for me,” she says.

Her search for something new led her to MADFit MMA.

“I searched for a boxing gym in Cape Town, and they were one of the first that popped up on Google! I remember training with both Matt (Leisching) and Don (Madge) and being drawn to their love for the sport, which made it really easy to stay at MADFit.”

Abrahams soon fell in love with grappling, where she has built a 9–2 record in Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro competitions.

“It really has improved many aspects of my life — learning to deal with my emotions in chaotic environments and understanding what discipline really looks like. And let’s not forget the ego — I’ve learned, day in and day out, how to grapple with my ego better, which I think this world could benefit more from,” added the 1-0 amateur MMA fighter.

When asked how she sees the fight going, Abrahams smiled at the BMC press conference: “I am going to go for a toe-hold,” she joked, drawing laughs from media and fans.

The Barebones MMA Championship: Rise of the Queen takes place Saturday, November 8, at the Sunningdale Sports Complex in Milnerton. The show begins at 3 p.m., with tickets available at the venue or via Quicket.

For livestream details and updates, follow Barebones MMA Championship and MzansiMMA on Instagram.

Link for embedding: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQlRRD5iOcD/

Caption 1:Tara Abrahams is incredibly proud of how far she’s come in her jiu-jitsu journey and the achievements she’s earned in the sport. “A standout memory definitely has to be my blue belt grading,” recalls Abrahams. “It took me about two years to get this, and I remember thinking about having to roll with everyone in my class — it terrified me… but it was truly one of the most rewarding moments of my life.”  |  Carl Kindo via Instagram.

Caption 2: Ayesha Majiet’s martial arts journey began by accident when she accompanied her sister to a class one day — she fell in love and never looked back. Today, Majiet is known across the Western Cape as a lethal striker, and she aims to continue sharpening her all-round MMA game this weekend against Tara Abrahams at Barebones MC 6. | Lee Johnson.