In spite of Covid-19 shutting down much of the planet, 27-year-old UFC featherweight Shane Young is in great spirits.
“When I was younger, playing with my little friends, I had these fantasies I’d be battling aliens to defend planet Earth, or fantasies about being an All Black [rugby player] – but what I’m doing right now is just as crazy. The world is in a pandemic and we’re flying to a manmade island to fight!”
He laughs.
“Dreams do come true, kids.”
When the coronavirus hit, the fighters at Auckland, New Zealand’s famous City Kickboxing were in the midst of a fight camp.