Donegi Abena’s rose from a troubled childhood within the Netherlands to turning into a world champion in considered one of fight sports activities’ most prestigious organizations. Now, at 27 years outdated, the Surinamese-Dutch fighter has taken his closing step away from kickboxing’s elite, signing with the PFL to pursue gold in MMA.
The Early Wrestles of Donegi Abena
Abena’s childhood unfolded inside the Dutch foster care system, a interval that formed his understanding of hardship. The experiences of rising up with out a steady household atmosphere taught him early classes about survival. In reflecting on these adolescence, Abena has been candid concerning the behavioral struggles that outlined his adolescence. He defined:
“Sure, I used to be just a little badass, and really aggressive. That’s how I used to be constructed,” He elaborated additional on the underlying causes of his aggression, noting that emotional expression proved tough throughout these years. “As a result of when you find yourself youthful, you’re not good with speaking, you’re not good in expressing your self. That’s the place I keep in mind the science, you realize: males are designed to combat. When you go to the Stone Ages, they had been designed to combat, and possibly it was the identical for me; I used to be prepared for them, able to combat folks.”
The trajectory of his adolescence was headed towards considered one of a number of doable adverse outcomes. Avenue combating had turn into an everyday prevalence, a approach for him to channel the aggression and frustration that got here from his circumstances. Nevertheless, at age 15, a dialog with a buddy would alter that trajectory solely. Certainly one of his childhood companions had a brother who skilled in kickboxing. The suggestion was easy however transformative.
“And after I was like 15, 16, considered one of my homeboy’s brothers, he was doing kickboxing, and he mentioned to me like, ‘Hey yo, you’re combating loads, you bought an excessive amount of power, an excessive amount of aggression, you realize, include me to the kickboxing health club and let’s see.’ So I went with him to the health club, and look the place we’re proper now, you realize. Inside 4 years I fought for the GLORY world title. I misplaced, however I did one thing with my youth, with my life. I began from the underside, from being an aggressive younger youngster going for road fights, this and that, to GLORY.”
The Rise By way of Skilled Ranks
Abena’s early skilled document demonstrated regular, constant progress. He competed throughout numerous European promotions, step by step constructing his credentials. By 2018, at age 20, he signed with GLORY Kickboxing, the world’s premier kickboxing group.
Inside his first yr, Abena was already difficult for main honors. His document collected victories by way of 2019 and into 2021, although early bids for championship gold resulted in defeats. At Glory 66 in Paris on June 22, 2019, he confronted then-champion Artem Vakhitov in a bout the place he had a chance to turn into GLORY’s youngest champion at the moment. Regardless of a aggressive combat, Vakhitov prevailed by cut up determination. That loss, whereas vital, didn’t derail his development. It pushed him tougher.
The years that adopted included a major layoff and continued improvement. By late 2022, Abena had positioned himself because the official primary contender within the mild heavyweight division. After defeating Felipe Micheletti by unanimous determination at Glory Collision 4 on October 8, 2022, he earned his championship alternative. This was the comeback.
Championship Achievement
On February 11, 2023, at Glory 83 in Essen, Germany, Abena faced defending light heavyweight champion Sergej Maslobojev. The fight marked a rematch of their previous encounter, which Maslobojev had won by split decision at Glory Collision 3 in October 2021.
This time, the outcome differed significantly. Abena imposed his will throughout the fight, controlling the action with his striking combinations and pressure. The ringside physician halted the bout in the fourth round due to a cut on Maslobojev’s shin, awarding Abena the GLORY Light Heavyweight Championship by technical knockout.
At 24 years old, Abena became one of the youngest champions in GLORY history, cementing a remarkable ascent from foster care to world championship status in the sport’s most competitive organization. The achievement carried particular weight given the obstacles he had overcome to reach that point.
Title Defense and Grand Prix Success
After defending his crown, he faced the Moroccan tornado Tarik Khbabez on March 9, 2024, in Arnhem. Khbabez defeated Abena by split decision, costing him his championship belt in an upset result. Rather than spiral from that loss, Abena channelled his disappointment into the light heavyweight division’s grand prix tournament, held on June 8, 2024, in Rotterdam.
The eight-man, single-night tournament offered significant stakes: a trophy and a $100,000 prize to the winner. Abena entered the tournament with something to prove following his championship loss.
He dispatched Stefan Lătescu in the quarterfinals by third-round technical knockout, stopping his opponent with low kicks 59 seconds into the third round. In the semifinals, he again used low kicks to stop Tarik Khbabez, earning a place in the finals against the incredibly dangerous Bahram Rajabzadeh. In the championship bout, Abena delivered a dominant performance, securing a first-round stoppage that earned him the tournament title and the $100,000 prize purse.
That victory cemented his status as one of the division’s elite competitors. As of June 2024, he was ranked the number one light-heavyweight in the world by GLORY, a position earned through his championship run and grand prix victory.
Bringing the Championship Home and Charity Work
Part of Abena’s rise to prominence included a commitment to his heritage and the community he came from. Following his championship victory, he brought the GLORY belt to Suriname, collaborating in basis work and neighborhood occasions designed to encourage youth in his homeland.
“Oh, it felt excellent. And the kids, they actually favored it, they loved it, simply seeing a champion there. And I hope that I’ve given them one thing for the long run to look to. Like, ‘Oh, he grew to become world champion, possibly I can turn into world champion.’ It’s important to give one thing to the youth to look as much as. And I hope so, I hope that I can discover the following world champions too,” Abena mentioned when reflecting on bringing the title to Suriname.
His neighborhood involvement prolonged to formal charitable partnerships. Abena labored with the Ilonka Elmont Foundation, a nonprofit group based by legendary Muay Thai fighter and seven-time world champion Ilonka Elmont. The inspiration focuses on supporting underprivileged kids, significantly these with particular wants and disabilities.
Elmont described the inspiration’s strategy and Abena’s position:
“All the things the inspiration does is working with underprivileged kids in South America and the Caribbean. After which we divide them into underprivileged kids with a socially, economically backward background, and kids with disabilities, particular wants.
“And what we do, we do about 4 sports activities days, rating protected for these kids. And each sports activities day we’ve got a widely known artist, and we’ve got an expert athlete becoming a member of to take part. And what we do is attempt to convey the dream nearer to those children. Like, they see these fighters on TV and so they by no means dreamed about it that they might be taking part in tug-of-war with them. And now they’ve it. Or they see singing a tune on TV, and now they can sing with the musicians. So these are the issues what we do.”
Abena’s involvement with the inspiration supplied him the chance to offer again immediately. “Sure. The inspiration is ensuring that kids with a psychological incapacity can work out, as a result of in Suriname there’s not a lot for folks with disabilities. So she’s doing, each two or three months, she’s doing a sports activities day, let’s say it like that, for kids with a incapacity to coach. And each time when she has a day for the kids, she brings a well-known particular person along with her to work out with the kids. And this time I used to be the fortunate one.”
The Transition to a New Degree of Movie star
Success on the world championship degree reworked Abena’s public standing and the duties that accompanied it. The transition from comparatively unknown fighter to world champion required an adjustment relating to how he carried out himself in public and what habits befitted his new place.
“I’m coming from the kind of factor that no person checked out you. No one’s taking a look at you, no person’s caring about you, so you are able to do no matter you need. However hastily you turn into a world champion and all of the eyes are on you. So you need to behave extra professionally, you need to carry your self approach totally different than earlier than, as a result of today, by way of social media and issues, folks like to guage everyone with out figuring out them,” Abena mirrored on the shift.
Coaching with the Fury Camp and Boxing Improvement
Whereas his kickboxing had reached the elite degree, the fluidity and subtlety {of professional} boxing provided expertise that might complement and improve his general combating arsenal. He started coaching in London for boxing fundamentals roughly eighteen months earlier than his discussions about becoming a member of GLORY camps.
“Sure, I’ve been coaching in London for boxing for like one and a half years now, and I’ve been going backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, simply to select up the boxing fundamentals: the motion, the way in which of punching, and the calmness. As a result of with kickboxing every little thing is tight and aggression, whereas boxing is far more fluid and relaxed: open your eyes, look there, you go, level. So I began doing that,” Abena defined, detailing the intentional shift in strategy between the 2 disciplines.
His boxing coach maintained connections with the Fury household’s coaching camp in England. Roughly two months earlier than his Glory Collision 6 title protection in opposition to Mohamed Touchassie, that connection bore fruit.
“And my boxing coach is outwardly good associates with the Fury’s, and he mentioned to me like two months in the past, ‘We are able to go to Camp Fury as a result of Tommy needed to combat, yeah, we will go to Camp Fury and be a part of them in camp for some sparring.’ And we went there and we simply began working collectively, we simply began working,” Abena recalled.
Psychological Strategy and Confidence
All through his profession and significantly as his profile grew, Abena developed a philosophical strategy to combating that emphasised calm and confidence rooted in capability. His early experiences with adversity had instilled a fatalism about coping with tough circumstances that prolonged into his skilled combating mindset.
When discussing his strategy to challenges and high-pressure conditions, Abena conveyed a exceptional steadiness. “I really feel the identical because the final time, simply relaxed, relaxed. As a result of if you realize that you realize the sport, you get calm. When you don’t know the sport, you’re not assured in your skills, you’re going to scream and make noise to cowl your insecurities. However we all know that we all know the sport, so we’re very calm,” he acknowledged.
He expanded on this angle when discussing the adversity he confronted in his profession and private life. “Sure, I do know. We went by way of trials and tribulations. We come from far, we needed to dig deep, and we preserve digging deep. And for me it’s nothing new, so it doesn’t actually harm me as a result of I’m used to it, you realize. I’m used to being the chances not in my favor. I’m used to it, so that is nothing new for me, you realize. Simply one other day on the workplace, simply one other day on the workplace,” Abena mentioned.
That perspective is a recognition that the obstacles he confronted in skilled sport paled compared to the systemic challenges he had overcome to succeed in that time. Setbacks grew to become manageable when contextualized in opposition to a childhood in foster care and the journey to world championship standing.
Recommendation for Others Going through Comparable Struggles
Abena’s platform and journey gave him credibility when providing steering to others going through related difficulties. Having navigated the transition from troubled youth to skilled success, he supplied sensible recommendation rooted in his personal expertise.
“Simply go to the health club and get all of your anger out. As a result of with an offended thoughts you possibly can’t see clear. So first get the anger out, then you will notice clear, after which it’s worthwhile to make the fitting selections. And it’s tough to make the fitting selections, so it’s worthwhile to get the fitting folks round you. And for me, nonetheless to today, I make and I made the mistaken selections and generally not having the fitting folks round me. However time will inform and time will be taught you who’s good for you and who’s not good for you. And the folks, regardless that you’re keen on them to loss of life, do away with them,” he suggested.
The persistence of this lesson in his personal life was notable. “Yeah, that’s essential. And even for those who love folks, do away with them if they aren’t making you be a greater particular person or higher fighter or no matter. In the event that they’re holding you again, you need to do away with them,” he reiterated.
The Transition to MMA and the PFL
In December 2025, Abena introduced his signing with the Skilled Fighters League, marking a transition from elite kickboxing competitors to combined martial arts. The transfer represented a major profession change for a fighter who had devoted a long time to creating experience in a single self-discipline. At 27 years outdated and with in depth skilled expertise on the highest ranges of kickboxing, Abena selected to start the difficult technique of studying MMA.
The PFL at mild heavyweight represents an elite group with world-class athletes. Abena’s document as an expert kickboxer stands at 30 wins with 10 knockouts, and a number of world titles, making him a harmful prospect.
The trail from troubled youth to celebrated athlete remained unconventional, and the ultimate chapter was being written. Abena’s entry into combined martial arts represents the pursuit of latest challenges. His observe document recommended that underestimating his capability to beat obstacles can be a mistake. The younger man who had fought on streets and in foster care properties had graduated to combating on the world’s largest fight sports activities levels. No matter comes subsequent, he approaches it with the identical willpower that has compelled him to beat setbacks and seize world titles.
