Largely trained on the French circuit where he accumulated his experience, Chresus Mokima will return to the cage on June 17, after five years of absence. The objective is clear for the Franco-Congolese: to finish the fight, and show that he has lost none of his ability.

It was to escape the war that Chresus Mokima, Congolese by origin, came to France in the early 2000s. “I retain flashes of memory, fragments, anecdotes … But I was young, and my family didn’t make me feel the danger.”

It must be said that Chresus Mokima’s parents had a significant impact on his life and career. Because if it was his mother who worked hard to enable him to reach Europe with urgency, it was his father who always encouraged his practice of martial arts.

“He was a wrestling champion in Congo, so it must have influenced me!” admits the 31-year-old fighter. “But basically, I started boxing to channel myself: I was really a young brawler, and we had to temper that. Since then, I’ve changed a lot, I’ve calmed down, and I have better control over my anger. I am less confrontational and more in dialogue mode. Martial arts has given me a lot, even in my personal life.”

“The elders have not lost their hand!”

On his path, Chresus Mokima discovered “free fighting”, the forerunner of MMA, in which he competed on the French circuit.

“Then, it was very different from now. Sometimes, when I finished my fight, I was asked ‘Are you hot, do you want to fight again?’ We didn’t have awareness.”

And as he prepares to return to competition after five years away from the spotlight, the Franco-Congolese intends to “shake-up the new generation” in the HEXAGONE MMA cage.

“Today’s youth have a level incomparable to that of our time. But I have fought big names, and I want to show them that the elders have not lost their hand!”

To succeed in this challenge, Chresus Mokima knows that he can count on, among other things, his experience at the highest level.

“I have learned not to leave the decision to the judges. I’m here to look for the finish.”