Rising tides lift all boats, and that same notion has applied to women’s combat sports in recent times, as promotions across various disciplines continue to give more women and girls the chance to showcase their skills, be it in the ring, cage or on the mats.
With that being said, one particular promotion, true to its values and vision of uplifting others, is taking it one step further once again as it seeks to tackle a social ill.
On 21 August 2026, Ultimate Dirty Boxing will roll out an all-women’s Fight Night in support of the fight against period poverty.
The show will feature a 12-fight card showcasing some of South Africa’s most exciting, hard-working and talented women in combat sports at a black-tie event that will be fully contested, run and officiated by women, all with the aim of uplifting and supporting girls and women battling period poverty.
Period poverty is a real issue in our society, with many girls and women unable to afford or access menstrual products such as tampons, sanitary pads or menstrual cups, while some also lack access to adequate sanitation, clean water or menstrual-health education.
Period poverty can lead to girls missing school because they cannot manage their periods safely or with dignity. It often creates health and hygiene risks when people have to use unsuitable menstrual materials or use menstrual products for longer than recommended.
Brought together by South African health and supplement brand Primal Wellness, this first-of-its-kind dirty boxing show will take place at the Homecoming Centre in District Six, Cape Town.
“The event reimagines fight night from the ground up: every fighter, official and broadcast crew member is female, and ring men replace the traditional ring card girls,” says organiser of Ultimate Dirty Boxing – Female Edition, Jess Mouneimne.
Hosted as a black-tie affair inside a historic theatre, the evening will feature two dirty boxing and 10 boxing bouts spanning a range of weight classes and showcasing some of Cape Town’s top female combat athletes.
Dirty boxing blends traditional boxing with close-quarters striking while using MMA gloves and includes clinch work and elbows, making for a fast-paced and physically demanding style of competition.
A portion of the proceeds, together with awareness raised throughout the night, will go towards the Menstruation Foundation, an organisation working to end period poverty in South Africa.
For every R50,000 raised, the Menstruation Foundation is able to sponsor a school with a sanitary product dispensing machine for a full year, giving girls reliable access to menstrual products and helping keep them in school.
“This is a night where strength meets elegance, and sport becomes a force for good,” says Mouneimne.
“We’ve built an event that celebrates women in combat sports from every angle – in the ring and around it – whilst raising real funds and real awareness for an issue that keeps girls out of school and away from playing sport every single month.”
The fight card includes some exciting names in the fight game, including household names who have stepped inside the hallowed EFC Hexagon and Thaiholics Fight Promotions ring over the years.
In the dirty boxing bouts, EFC athlete Mischka Laubscher takes on Megan Brown, while the former’s teammate, Aneesha Mayman, takes on an equally serious striker in Verne Prinsloo.
On the boxing side, fast-rising amateur boxer and influencer Tasneem Waggie returns to the ring to face Sibongile Ngqawa.
The show starts at 6pm on Friday, with tickets available from R400 via Quicket and at the door, if any are left after online sales.
For more information, follow Ultimate Dirty Boxing on Instagram: @ultimate_dirty_boxing.
PRIMAL WELLNESS PRESENTS: DIRTY BOXING FIGHT CARD- 21 AUG
12: Mischka Laubscher (PFA) Vs Megan Brown THAIHOLICS (dirty boxing) 60kgs
11: Aneesha Mayman (PFA) Vs Verne Prinsloo THAIHOLICS (dirty boxing) 55kgs
10: Ayesha Majied (PFA) vs Fouzia Tape- (BUSHIDO) 57 kgs (Boxing)
9: Aqeelah Salie PFA Vs Naheed Khan (boxing) (VIBRANT) 52kgs
8: Claire Alexander (PFA )Vs Elodye David’s 65kgs (MADFIT) (boxing)
7: Anzel Kellerman (OTR Boxing) Vs Catherine Mashala- (CPUT Boxing) 50kg
6: Jen Bromwich( PFA) VS Oyama Bakeni 57kg (VIBRANT) (boxing)
5: Anja Maclachlan (PFA ) Vs Alonsa Pasqualli – (boxing) (Whiteboy) Boxing 83kgs
4: Tasneem Waggie (PFA) Vs Sibongile Ngqawa- (Vibrant) (boxing 50kgs)
3:Dom Boukeart- (PFA) Vs Roxanne Yeoman (boxing) 66kgs (Hermanus MMA)
2: Nicole Lawrence (SN Boxing0 Vs Marian Eksteen 64kg (boxing) (Spartans)
1: Kay lee Cupido (SN Boxing) Vs Christina Mathews 76kgs (boxing) (Spartans)
IOL Sport
