Celebrating our stand-out members who show extra grit and determination at Team Nogueira Dubai. Our #MemberOfTheMonth for November 2016 goes to young Nayel Nacef, MMA and Muay Thai student, and recent victor at the TND Future Champions Competition!

Thirteen year old Nayel joined Team Nogueira Dubai over a year ago and has been training hard in MMA and Muay Thai with a goal of achieving competition success. This plucky fighter’s discipline and work ethic have earned him the respect of his peers. His best friend and training partner Kareem (pictured above with Nayel) encouraged him from the onset and together they have forged the fighting ability to succeed at a high level – as just demonstrated in the #TND Future Champions Competition, in which both Nayel and Kareem both achieved straight wins. Below we learn a bit more about Nayel and why he has been chosen as the November 2016 Member of the Month!

TND: When did you join Team Nogueira? What disciplines do you take here?
Nayel: I joined Team Nogueira about a year ago. I’ve been on-and-off a bit recently because of an injury but am now back training fully. I take the MMA and Muay Thai disciplines, under coaches Ryan Bow and Mounir Lazzez.

TND: What made you start training these disciplines?
Nayel: My best friend Kareem started first, and after he’d done it for a while, started encouraging me to give it a go. I said yes, mainly because I’ve always been curious about MMA.

TND: What are your aspirations as a fighter?
Nayel: I would like to keep up with this level and rate of training in order to succeed in future fights, hopefully. Perhaps when I’m older I’ll also have the opportunity to fight professionally.

“I want to make the coaches proud when they call me their student, so I train to the best of my ability. And of course, I love the sport!”
– Nayel

TND: What motivates you to get up and come to class?
Nayel: My friends at Team Nogueira motivate me a lot – and I don’t want to let them down by not showing up for training. We really help each other in that respect. I also want to make the coaches proud when they call me their student, so I train to the best of my ability. And of course, I love the sport!

TND: What / Who inspires you?
Nayel: Everyone in the gym (or most of them, ha!) inspire me each and every day because of their willingness to be better, and their hard-working attitude. I want – and try – to have the same approach.

TND: What advice would you give to someone looking to start practising MMA or Muay Thai?
Nayel: I would tell them to keep at it, train, and give it all you got. That’s all anyone can ask really, and you never know, one day you could become a future champion!

TND: What’s your favourite thing about being a Team Nogueira member?
Nayel: My favourite thing is that we are all one family: we train together, help each other get better, and love what we do.

TND: Who are your idols in the sport?
Nayel: Maximillian Flynn, Connor McGregor and Minotauro Nogueira.

TND: Choose three words to describe yourself.
Nayel: Hard-working, respectful and friendly.

Congrats Nayel for your awesome achievements, we are all very proud of you!