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UEL student hits the big time in the world’s fastest growing sport at Ultimate Challenge (UCMMA)

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Djo Lema

Most people link cage fighting with Alex Reid – glamour model Jordan’s husband, but now a University of East London student has beaten one of the UK’s top cage fighters, Scott Jansen, at UCMMA 12: Never Back Down, which took place at the Troxy, Commercial Road on Saturday May 8th in front of a celebrity crowd including Dizzee Rascal.

Djo Lema, 23, a third year Business Information Systems and Computer Networks student from Hackney, beat reigning champion Scott Jansen in the lightweight division.

A black belt in Judo and Jujitsu, Djo is determined to balance his coursework with the love for his sport during his final year at the School of Computing, Information Technology and Engineering (CITE) at the Docklands campus.

Djo 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."

Originally from the Congo, Djo was trained by his father in Mukumbusu, a popular form of African street fighting and a national sport in the Congo. The founder, Master Dan Mabeka trained Djo’s father in the early 70’s, when Mukumbusu was created and Djo’s father, Master Lik Lema, taught Djo.

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."

Dave O’Donnell, Director of UCMMA and legendary MMA promoter said: "We were all really impressed with Djo’s performance on Saturday, 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 19th 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."

University of East London: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Office

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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