About Shane

From a young age, Shane knew he wanted to make a positive impact on this world. He didn’t know HOW or even WHY but he just knew he would do so.

At the age of 14, he found his HOW
At the age of 25, he found his WHY

At the age of 14, he began training mixed martial arts, an aikido-turned Jiu-Jitsu/MMA gym located above a children’s play area.

Shane was never a confrontational child. If you were to meet him today, you would see this to be true.

It was when he was enjoying training with his best friend, whom he met through the competitive world of street art in NZ’s Auckland City, that he was introduced to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

In this, the fastest growing sport in the world; he saw an opportunity, a HOW!

It would take 10 years of hard work and dedication to finally realise his dream of becoming a UFC fighter. Along that journey were many pitfalls and triumphs but all roads led back his home of Maraenui, Napier. There he began his journey of returning to his whenua (land) returning to his culture (Māoritanga) and his whanau (family).

He didn’t know it at the time but he was returning to his WHY!

So, what is his mission?
How will he do it?
More importantly, why does he want to?

Shane Young wants to use the platform of the UFC, the respect that he earns from his followers, naysayers, stablemates and business partners, to instil a progressive slow change towards the positive in Aotearoa.

He wants to, because as an indigenous Maori and a Scottish settler, he sees himself as the bridge between the ways of the old and the future of the new. With the universal language of combat, he plans to create a new narrative, tell Polynesia a different story and uplift all people from all walks of life!

Because at the end of the day, and in his own words, “I’m just a “mongrel” from “no-good Maraenui”!

But even a mongrel from the hood has the potential to change the world! This amazing young man of 26, with a good heart and oozing with Aroha, is a testament to that!