'If I can make it out, you can too,' says Dyer before UFC fight
Shanelle Dyer is using her UFC platform to show young people they can "make it out too" after growing up in a neighbourhood affected by knife crime in west London.
Shanelle Dyer's parents encouraged her to play sports, concerned about the alternative life paths they saw for her growing up on a troubled London housing estate. After a decade-long pursuit, Dyer found her calling in mixed martial arts, after dabbling in ballet, gymnastics, and football. The 25-year-old Londoner made her UFC debut in March, knocking out Ravena Oliveira in the second round.
Dyer's story is one of perseverance, influenced by her parents' guidance and the tragic loss of her MMA mentor Jahreau Shepherd, who was killed in a stabbing at a birthday party. Dyer's nickname, "The Nightmare," will be announced before her fight against Elise Reed, which she refers to as her way of keeping Shepherd's memory alive.
The money she wins in this fight could transform her life, as she plans to take her family to Paris for the first time. Dyer's success shows troubled youth that there's an alternative to gang violence, inspiring them to pursue their passions and find their place in the world.
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- 'If I can make it out, you can too,' says Dyer before UFC fight sports.yahoo.com
