Justin Clarke: I’m not a gentleman in a savage sport anymore

After a whirlwind 2025 that saw him fight three times in only five months across locations like Rwanda and Benin, Clarke is finding strength in the “creature comforts” of home soil this time around as he prepares for his return to the cage on April 10. 

Clarke’s upcoming bout against Senegalese contender Abdoulaye Kane presents an opportunity for redemption.

His last outing – a championship final against Abraham Bably ended only seconds into the fight. The loss was a triple blow; the title, the chance to move to PFL Global, and a $100 000 payday all vanished in a flash.

“I had this understanding that we’d touch gloves and feel each other out, but that was the wrong way of looking at it,” Clarke admitted.

“I’m not going to have this gentleman’s approach to a savage sport anymore. I’m fighting from the second the bell goes.”

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Clarke goes on to say he expects his next opponent to be a good matchup for him. 

“I know he’s going to come with a Muay Thai base and that he likes to stand and trade. I’ve looked at the footage to see what habits I can exploit, and I’m just going in there to pummel him.”

Clarke also told SABC Sport that beyond his physical training, he has incorporated some neurological recovery with the help of an occupational therapist and a neuroscientist to nurse a mild concussion sustained in his last fight. 

Training out of the renowned CIT camp in Pretoria alongside coaches Morné Visser and Stefan De La Ray, Clarke is laser-focused on the task at hand – returning to winning ways.

“That losing feeling was terrible. It burnt, it stung and I’m not heading there again. Once was enough!”

Justin Clarke is in a good place both physically and emotionally to deliver a statement on his home turf in what is going to be a brutal co-main event at the SunBet Arena.