What started as a challenge to a friend a year ago planted the seed that will now see an Addo âboerseunâ step out of his comfort zone and into the ring, where he will go toe to toe with another farmer next month.

Gideon Wessels has six weeks to get into fighting shape before making his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at season three of Moer ân Boer.

âIâm nervous, but Iâm excited. I canât wait to put myself out there, to push myself and to see what I am actually capable of,â Wessels said.

Moer ân Boer might seem like a gimmick â plucking two farmers out of their fields and off their tractors, slapping on some gloves and throwing them into the deep end of a Bloodsport-style arena.

But the event, run by prominent MMA promotion Versus, exposes a whole new crowd to the professional sport of MMA by taking Average Joes, following their journeys and telling their stories as they prepare to pit themselves against their peers in the cage.

While some competitors from season one seemed like the brandy-fuelled brawlers one might expect, the competitors have become progressively more serious about performing well in front of the live crowd, as well as the countless people watching online and following their progress.

Of the dozens of entries for season three, 81 farmers from across South Africa were selected to attend the try-outs weekend in February, after which 20 farmers were selected to compete at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria on 19 September.

However, for Wessels, the journey took a slight detour as he was brought in as a late replacement. But that only fuels his competitiveness, as he now feels he has something to prove to himself and the promoters.

The 34-year-old from Kariega has been involved in the agricultural sector all his adult life. After matriculating from Technical High School Daniel Pienaar, he worked at a company in Gqeberha providing a wide range of agricultural services to farmers.

He landed a job on a dairy farm in the Tsitsikamma region before moving to a Bonsmara stud in the Addo region. From there, he found a position at a citrus farm where he now works as a farm manager.

âMy introduction to fighting came after I watched a couple of episodes of Moer ân Boer season one on YouTube. I honestly didnât take it very seriously, but it was enough for me to jokingly call up a friend and tease him to enter. His only response was a picture of the completed entry form,â Wessels laughed.

He ended up travelling with his friend to Pretoria, watched the fight and was immediately hooked. Despite his friend losing by a narrow judgesâ decision, the camaraderie, vibe and gees, during and after the bouts, were enough to convince Wessels to enter for a spot in season three.

âBeing there, watching the fights and experiencing the highs of the event with my friends completely changed my perspective. I just knew I wanted to feel that high for myself.â

After submitting his entry in December, he was selected to travel to Pretoria in February, where he and his fellow entrants watched professional fighters duke it out at Versus MMA before they were put through their paces as part of the selection process for the final 20 fighters.

âIt was an eye-opening experience. First seeing how the pros fight and then being put through a training session that pushed me to my absolute limits was a humbling experience,â Wessels said.

A few weeks later, he got the disappointing call that he had not made the final selection, but opted to stay on the reserves list should they need a last-minute replacement.

In the months since, Wessels maintained his active lifestyle, completing his seventh Knysna Half Marathon and preparing for an upcoming Hyrox event.

But two weeks ago, he got a call from Moer ân Boer promoter Janneman van den Berg. One of the competitors had to withdraw due to an injury, and they were looking for a new boer to take his spot. Wessels matched the weight category and immediately put his hand up.

âWe knew just how disappointed Gideon was when he did not get that call for a spot on the season three roster, but when we asked who was keen to join the reserves list, he was the first to put his name down,â Van den Berg said.

âLosing one of our fighters eight weeks before the Fight Night could have been a major problem, but Gideon stepped up. I gave him a call, and he simply said, âIâll do itâ.

âHe has eight weeks to train while the other guys will have six months. But I saw Gideon is determined to put in the work and leave everything in the cage come fight night.

âI have nothing but respect for this man. He does not back down from a challenge,â Van den Berg said.

Wessels admits that after the call from Van den Berg, he was very excited, but equally nervous.

âI thought back to the gruelling training session they put us through and thought to myself: do you really want to go through that again?

âBut after going to Pretoria this past weekend, speaking with the coaches and being paired with the coaches at the PE Submission Fighting Academy here in Gqeberha, I feel ready to take on this challenge.â DM