At UFC London, fans are expecting established fighters like Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy, and Michael Page to put on a show. However, the veterans might have some competition, as debutant Shanelle Dyer could steal the spotlight at the O2 Arena. For a while now, the 24-year-old has been seen as a solid prospect, which is why fans are curious about her background.

On March 21, ‘The Nightmare’ is set to face Ravena Oliveira in her UFC debut. Looking at the matchup, Dyer will need to push herself from the very start if she wants to secure the win. Despite the challenge, she is one of the few fighters who gets to make her UFC debut on home turf. As she prepares to deliver an entertaining performance, let’s get to know Shanelle Dyer a little better, starting with her background.

Where is Shanelle Dyer from, and What is Shanelle Dyer’s Nationality?

For the unfamiliar, Shanelle Dyer hails from the United Kingdom and was born and brought up in London, England. Although the young British star has not shared much about her upbringing, it can be said without exaggeration that London has been very beneficial for her martial arts career.

From a young age, Dyer built a strong foundation in Muay Thai, which helped her transition seamlessly into MMA. Soon, ‘The Nightmare’ established herself as a key member of British Top Team, where she trains under former UFC fighter Brad Pickett. Moreover, the 24-year-old has a strong training support system, with UFC contenders like Lone’er Kavanagh, Nathaniel Wood, who is also fighting at UFC London, and Veronica Hardy training alongside her.

With that strong team, Dyer remained undefeated during her stint in the Professional Fighters League. Following a really good PFL career, she ended up losing a crucial bout against Carol Foro at Dana White’s Contender Series last year. DWCS is an event where fighters compete to earn a UFC contract, which is usually awarded only to winners. Despite the loss, UFC CEO Dana White may have been impressed by the performance, history with PFL, or perhaps a short-notice opening on the London card created an opportunity.

Now that we know about Shanelle Dyer’s nationality and MMA background, let’s take a look at her ethnicity.

What is Shanelle Dyer’s ethnicity?

Though Shanelle Dyer proudly represents the English flag, she is ethnically Nigerian. When it comes to Nigerian fighters, the UFC is no stranger, with celebrated champions like Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman also tracing their roots back to Nigeria. That said, knowing her background, can you guess Dyer’s favorite fighter?

If your answer is Israel Adesanya, then bingo, you are right. Because of their shared Nigerian roots, ‘The Nightmare’ has always felt a connection with the former two-time middleweight champion. But it is not just that connection that makes the Englishwoman admire ‘The Last Stylebender.’ 

She also revealed that she interacted with Adesanya during a seminar at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA, where Dyer explained how the former 185 lbs champion helped her learn feints and fakes. So, Adesanya, being an accomplished MMA fighter and former champion, became another reason behind her admiration for ‘Izzy’.

After learning about much of her background, another curious question emerges: what religion does Shanelle Dyer follow? Let’s take a look.

Is Shanelle Dyer Christian?

As of now, Shanelle Dyer has not revealed anything about her religious beliefs, nor do her social media accounts indicate that she is affiliated with any particular faith. So, it remains unknown whether ‘The Nightmare’ is Christian or follows any other religion.

That said, before Evloev and Murphy headline the show, the 24-year-old strawweight contender prepares to step inside the UFC Octagon for the first time. Do you think she can overcome her first challenge and emerge as a dark horse in the strawweight division? Let us know in the comments section below.