Weightclass: Flyweight
Record: 7-0
Age: 22
Height: 5’7”
Born in: South Africa
Training out of: A-Team Stars
Combined opponents’ record (at the time they fought): 19-13-1
Key wins: N/A
Following a 6-1 amateur career that included four finishes and a pair of fights at the 2022 IMMAF World Championships, van Rooyen turned pro in 2023 and took a dominant unanimous decision over fellow debutant David Makane at EFC 107. The South African closed out the year with his first pro finish before going 3-0 in 2024, which set up a fight for the vacant EFC flyweight title last May that saw van Rooyen knock out Kleberson Sousa in just 37 seconds to claim the belt.
“White Lion” successfully defended his title for the first time last weekend and showcased his growing skills on the ground when he submitted Anatolie Gafin at EFC 126, which brought his record to 7-0 with five wins via finish just under two years into his professional career.
Primarily a striker during his amateur and early pro fights, van Rooyen gets a lot of work done with a fast and accurate 1-2 combination that he’s happy to lead with or throw as a counter. He’s started to mix in a left hook more often during his recent outings, and arguably his favorite attack on the feet is a hard outside leg kick that he’ll use to end a combination or simply batter an opponent’s lead leg if they aren’t doing anything to defend it.
The South African has started diversifying his kicking game a bit more in recent fights and especially loves throwing up a quick high kick with his rear leg. If he ends up in a clinch, “White Lion” will immediately start trying to land knees to his opponent’s head and can also hit body lock or trip takedowns from this position.
Van Rooyen has been far more willing to take things to the mat during his last few fights and has started to mix in well-timed single and double leg attempts where he’s able to catch his opponents off balance. He’s excellent at immediately moving into a dominant position once he does get on top and has some nasty ground and pound, but if an opponent rolls to their knees, he’ll also soften them up with punches while looking for opportunities to lock up a rear-naked choke.
Questions remain about how van Rooyen would handle a strong wrestler capable of keeping him grounded. So far, his scrambling skills have consistently allowed him to get back to his feet or reverse into top position when taken down. On the feet, he can be lured into reckless exchanges and has a habit of leaving his chin exposed in those moments. Even so, his sharp finishing instincts—paired with a recently revealed, highly dangerous ground game—make “White Lion” one of EFC’s most exciting young prospects, and it seems only a matter of time before he takes the next step in his career.