A 19-year-old from Mitchells Plain has done what few in the sport thought possible. Xavier Cornelius — competing in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) for just six months — claimed the national championship title on Sunday 3 May, in only his third ever bout in the octagon. The win earned him selection for the world championships in November.
From the backyard to the big stage
It was Xavier’s brother, Clayton, who first sparked his interest in the sport. After finishing matric last year, Xavier decided to follow Clayton into the world of MMA. “I always thought of myself as a good fighter,” Xavier, who has a blue belt in jiu jitsu, said. “I got into MMA after my brother.
“Long before joining a club, the two brothers spent years training and sparring together at home “like monkeys”, their mother, Chantal Cornelius, said.
“They were always fighting somewhere in the corner in the garden, looking like mad people.”
In an online interview Xavier said: “I used to be a fat kid but my brother, he was always working on himself with the MMA and he was in good shape. He was taking care of himself and I thought, ‘let me give this a try’.”
Earlier this year, Xavier joined Legion Fitness Academy in Crawford, where a coach helped him sharpen his skills and learn the rules of the sport. By February, he had earned his Western Province colours and began training in preparation for the national championships in Johannesburg.
Just his third fight — and he silenced the doubters.
Xavier’s run at the nationals was remarkable from the opening bout.
His first fight was over in 15 seconds. He threw a single kick, the officials stopped the contest, and it was declared the fastest match of the entire tournament.
His final, gold-medal bout was even more astonishing. His opponent had roughly 30 fights to his name and was ranked first in South Africa and third on the continent. Before the fight, many expected it to be a straightforward fight for Xavier’s seasoned opponent. “People were saying, ‘Oh well, this is easy work for you’,” Chantal recalled.
Instead, Xavier forced him to tap out — the signal used in MMA when a fighter can no longer go on.”The fight that earned him his gold medal was literally his third actual fight in the octagon,” Chantal said. “That is what makes this miraculous.”
Eyes on Dubai — but R60 000 to raise
Xavier’s national title has earned him a place at the world championships in Dubai in November. However, getting there will require community backing. The Cornelius family is currently fundraising and needs to raise R60 000 to cover the costs of the trip.
Xavier is clear-eyed about what a career in MMA demands.
“If you’re doing it to actually make a career out of it, this is one of those sports where you will have to give it your all,” he said. “You won’t really have much family time. All your time, all your effort needs to be put into the sport — because you’re being put into an octagon where they’re trying to knock you out and you’re trying to knock them out.”
He trains morning and night, every day.
“Many people will start, but then they’re on and off. I have not been on and off. I’ve been at the gym every day. What you put in, you get out.”
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