Shane Young

Shane Young is a 30-year-old featherweight from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, who has become one of combat sports' more thoughtful athletes. Before turning pro in 2012, he was a qualified builder and foreman; he wrestled in high school and represented Dilworth School as rugby captain. That blue-collar foundation runs through his fighting career. Young is of European and Māori descent and has been vocal about using his platform to inspire mixed-race and Māori youth to reconnect with their heritage, drawing power and mana from his ancestors' warrior traditions. He trains out of Auckland's City Kickboxing gym, alongside UFC standouts Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France, and represents Ngāti Kahungunu.

Young's fight style is built on heavy hands and finishing power: he has six knockout wins and four submission victories (primarily rear naked chokes), with most of his significant striking output coming from distance or the clinch. After turning heads with a second-round TKO of Rolando Dy at UFC Fight Night in June 2018 (which earned him Fight of the Night honors), Young has had an inconsistent UFC run, winning seven of twelve fights but losing five of his last seven bouts. A first-round KO loss to Ľudovít Klein in 2020, despite Klein missing weight by four pounds, proved particularly deflating.

What sets Young apart is his vulnerability and depth. Following his 2018 breakthrough, he contemplated stepping away from fighting to address depression and the fallout from his marriage ending, borrowing $40 just to get to Singapore for his next bout. He returned to his roots, reconnecting with his Māori culture, and rebuilt his mindset. That authenticity and self-awareness have made him a fan favorite even as his recent record has softened. After a string of unanimous decision losses and a rapid submission defeat to Gabriel Miranda in September 2023 (where he missed weight again), Young was released by the UFC in October 2023. He remains active and committed to his mission: bringing Māori magic and warrior spirit to a global audience, one fight at a time.