UEL student Djo is cagefighting contender

By Simon Hayes on May 24, 2010 3:38 PM |

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University of East London student Djo Lema has earned himself a possible UK title fight after impressing as a cage fighter.

The business information systems student beat reigning lightweight champion Scott Jansen in a bout in the UCMMA event at The Troxy on May 8 and impressed the promoters so much they want to give him a chance to win the national title.

Dave O'Donnell, director of UCMMA, said: "We were all really impressed with Djoís performance in the cage and on the camera.

"Enough so, that Sky Sports have asked me to put him forward for the UK1 lightweight title fight on June 19, in a rematch against Scott Jansen. He's Bandog's newest star and if you missed the fight then you won't want to miss the re-match. So watch this space."

Lema, 23, is a black belt in judo and jujitsu and also trained in Mukumbusu, a form of African street fighting, in his native Congo. He was keeping his feet on the ground despite his new-found sporting success.

He said: "I'm delighted to win this medal as it's been a difficult road to get here. I love being a student at UEL and I'm grateful for my lecturers' support.

"My message to other students is if you believe in something, nothing can stop you. You have to work hard to get what you want, so courage and discipline are really important."

UEL lecturer Gaurav Malik said: "We were all really surprised to hear that we had a top cage fighter at UEL, it definitely shows the diverse talents we have here. Djo is a fantastic student and we wish him every success in future competitions."