From knocking on doors around Bedford to raise sponsorship at 16, to fighting on seven days’ notice at Thailand’s famous Rajadamnern Stadium, 23-year-old Zayaan Williamson has shown a determination that has taken him far beyond his hometown.
A martial artist since the age of six, Williamson is a multiple English kickboxing champion and won double gold at the 2018 World Championships in Jamaica, despite recovering from a broken leg only months before.
Read: Bedford Kickboxers return home as world champions
“To get there I spent nine months going round Bedford asking local businesses for support,” recalls Zayaan.
“I grew up where expectations were low. A lot of people I knew took wrong turns. Discipline gave me another option, and I’m grateful to the people who backed me.”
That determination has carried into his professional career.
Williamson trains twice a day, most days, and in 2024 made his professional debut where he remains unbeaten.
Earlier this year, he returned from a training camp in Thailand, where he stepped into the ring at the historic Rajadamnern Stadium, considered the spiritual home of Muay Thai.
But his journey extends well beyond the sport.
At 15, Williamson refereed football matches to earn money; at 17, he was tutoring GCSE students and helping parents with the basics of starting local businesses, and in 2020, he secured a degree apprenticeship with IBM, advancing from AI Engineer to leading developers on government projects.
In 2023, alongside his training and work, Williamson launched a cleaning business that expanded into several UK towns.
He began documenting his entrepreneurial journey online, sharing the challenges of balancing fights, business, and a full-time career. That openness struck a chord. Soon, people began reaching out for advice, asking him to guide them through starting their own ventures.
What started as informal mentorship has since grown into a lean consulting business where Williamson supports aspiring entrepreneurs to launch service-based companies.
“I realised there are a lot of people who want to start but don’t know how. For me it’s about cutting through the confusion and showing them what’s possible,” he adds.
His commitment to giving back isn’t new.
In 2022, Williamson worked as a career mentor in Bedford, encouraging young people to see beyond their circumstances. That work continues today, as he splits his time between training at a respected Leicester gym and mentoring others online.
“What’s always struck me about Zayaan is his initiative,” says Tim Pain, Director of Verve Group, who first sponsored him as a teenager.
“He didn’t wait around — he put himself out there and kept working.”
Now newly married, Williamson is balancing professional sport, business ownership, and community work.
“I’m proud of the wins,” he says. “But the real aim is to show that with structure and persistence, you can change your path — and then help others do the same.”
