South African professional mixed martial artist Terrance "The Mountain" Born has reached the pinnacle of African MMA, capturing the vacant EFC Heavyweight Championship at EFC 138 at the World Sports EFC Arena in Johannesburg.

With an undefeated 5-0 record in the Extreme Fighting Championship, his rise to champion is defined by strength, resilience and unwavering discipline.

Yet for Born, fighting is not a career choice he simply stumbled into-it feels like something written into his identity since childhood.

"I was born able to beat up people, so I remember as a kid, I'd tell my friends, like, okay, the four of you versus me, and then I'll beat them up. SO I didn't choose it, it chose me," Born told Eyewitness News.

South African professional mixed martial artist Terrance "The Mountain" Born during a training session. Picture: Supplied.

At EFC 138, Born secured the vacant belt with a relentless second-round ground-and-pound finish against Matunga Djikasa.

Walking through the tactical mindset of that career-defining night, Born revealed how he handled his opponent's best shots before taking control.

"I've been waiting to answer this one. So, the first round was: I'm gonna move forward. Let me feel what he has. And then he hit me with his best shot that they worked on with his team. I didn't even flinch. I didn't. I wasn't dizzy. I didn't get rocked, and I was like, 'Oh, okay, cool.' Then, in the second round, we just decided to take him out. Yeah. I just walked forward even more," Born explained.

Maintaining a relentless pace requires mental strength above all else. Even when his corner advised him to step back, Born stayed aggressive because he could see his opponent breaking down.

"That's all you need, actually. Because if you remember, in the fight, I wasn't tired at all. But right after the ref stopped, it was like my body just broke down. So mentally, I was there. I need that. And even if my corner advises me to back off a little bit, I kind of don't because I'm looking into my opponent's eyes. I now see him breaking. So I just go for the shot. I think the mental aspect is more important than the physical," he said.

Every single win in Born's EFC career has come by knockout. But while heavy hitters are common in the division, Born credits precision and studying human rhythm for his clean finishes.

EFC Heavyweight Championship Terrance "The Mountain" Born. Picture: Ntokozo Khumalo/ Eyewitness News

"That's 50% of the work. When you have power, when you're blessed with power, you can have power, but then you miss. So you have to work on precision and timing. Know how to catch the guys and know how they move. We all have a rhythm, you know. My last opponent, he has a rhythm; he twitches like 1,2,3. On the fourth, he jumps in. So if you can catch him on the three before he hits you, then you get him," Born shared.

Behind the gold lies a decade of deep personal sacrifice. To reach the top within the strict two-year timeline he set for himself, Born chose isolation over balance.

"Ignoring my heart was the hardest thing possible, because I had to ignore family, be away from family. I haven't had a family gathering in 10 years. I haven't been to a Christmas in 10 years. None of those things, parties and all of that. So that is the hardest part for me: ignoring my nature to love and care and be nurtured and be hugged, because mentally I have to be hard. I'm going to war," he admitted.

South African professional mixed martial artist Terrance "The Mountain" Born during a training session. Picture: Supplied

Now standing at the top, Born wants the biggest challenges possible for his first title defence before chasing international glory to fly the South African flag globally.

"I'm asking EFC to give me the next guy. I hope it's a guy who's taller than me, heavier than me. Give me the biggest guy and whoever people are scared of, I'll take that guy," Born stated.

Off the mat, Born engages directly with fans on social media, inspired by sports heroes like Johan Cena, who show up for their audience.

His advice to aspiring heavyweights across South Africa is rooted in that same relentless discipline.

"Don't just have the dream, and don't just pray for the dream and work for the dream. Work for the responsibility that comes with it, which is that you have to live the lifestyle. You have to decide to be disciplined, decide to sacrifice, and decide to be looked at as an outcast. You have to turn down your friends, turn down this and that. If you're willing to do that, I think it's easy to be a champion. Learn to say no. That's my advice."

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