Chad Hanekom Record: 11-4-0

Brave CF years

His first marquee test came in March 2018 at Brave CF 10, where he dropped a razor-thin split decision to unbeaten prospect Ikram Aliskerov – a fighter who would go on to the UFC – in a fight that showed Hanekom could hang with elite talent. He rebounded with a first-round Kimura before delivering one of his signature wins in September 2018 at Brave CF 16, outpointing previously undefeated prospect Leon Aliu over three rounds by unanimous decision. Brave CF 31 in December 2019 was his shot at the bigger stage, but he came up short, stopped by punches in the second round against Brazil's Daniel Pereira. He kept grinding through the promotion into the early 2020s, mixing a leg-kick TKO and a unanimous decision with a highlight first-round elbow knockout of In Jae La at Brave CF 66 in 2022.

Contender Series and AKO

Hanekom's bid for a UFC contract came in September 2023 on Dana White's Contender Series, where he lost a unanimous decision to Dylan Budka. Rather than fade, he returned to the African circuit and reeled off two more finishes – a first-round rear-naked choke and a third-round elbow TKO – under the AKO banner. In November 2025, headlining AKO 11, he dropped a split decision to Jordan Fongno in a close, competitive main event.

Fighting style

Hanekom is a finisher first: of his 11 wins, five have come by submission and four by knockout or TKO, for an 82% finish rate that reflects a fighter who hunts the ending rather than coasting to the cards. His grappling is the foundation – arm-triangles, rear-naked chokes, armbars and a Kimura all appear on his ledger – but he has grown into a genuine striking threat, with elbows producing some of his most violent stoppages. The honest read on his record is that his four losses have all come against top-level competition and three of them went to decision, suggesting his stumbles tend to be close, tactical battles rather than blowouts. At 6'2" with length to work behind, he is most dangerous when he can impose his pace and drag opponents into his world.

Career highlights

• Undefeated start — opened his pro career with four consecutive finishes, announcing himself as one of the region's most promising prospects.
• Win over an unbeaten prospect — beat previously perfect Leon Aliu by unanimous decision at Brave CF 16, a signature result against a rising name.
• 82% finish rate — nine of his 11 wins have ended inside the distance across both submissions and strikes, marking him as a true finisher at middleweight.