 |
| Demarte Pena |
EFC 12 saw some of the top featherweight fighters in action, and
went a long way to cementing a previously dubious ranking order. The
featherweight division also unveiled a wealth of new talent that will be eyeing
out a position on this list in the near future. Here are my new featherweight
rankings post EFC 12.
1. Demarte “The Wolf” Pena (3-0)
Demarte Pena recently became the youngest EFC champion in the
promotions brief history. At just 21, The Wolf bested Leo Gloss in a five round
unanimous decision at EFC Africa 10 in September 2011. Although fairly
inexperienced, Pena has fought some big names and in addition to his win versus
Gloss, holds a notable win over Jean-Luc Kazadi. With no shortage of
accomplished fighters breathing down his neck, Demarte Pena will have his work
cut out for him to maintain his position atop the featherweight rankings. First
up is a title defence against number one contender Wesley Hawkey.
2. Wesley “The Young Assassin” Hawkey (7-2)
Wesley Hawkey is still undefeated in the EFC, with a 3-0
record. The Young Assassin was ruthless in his submission victory over Denzil
Wait at EFC 12, and left no doubt as to who the number one contender for the
featherweight title is. In doing so, Wesley Hawkey has earned himself a title
shot against EFC Africa featherweight champion and #1 on this list, Demarte
Pena.
3. Denzil “Redstarr” Wait (5-2)
Denzil Wait (1-1 EFC) will need to return to the drawing
board after losing via submission to Wesley Hawkey at EFC 12. Wait, a strong
grappler, did not look confident on the ground as Hawkey attempted submission
after submission, almost finishing Wait on a couple of occasions. Eventually
Hawkey managed to sink in a deep armbar which forced the tap and left Wait
looking rather uncomfortable.
4. Leo “King” Gloss (8-3)
Leo Gloss has been a staple on EFC fight cards for the past
few years. The King has fought some of the promotions top fighters and already
been involved in two title fights in two different divisions. Having recently
lost to Demarte Pena in this promotions first featherweight title fight, Gloss
will look to get back to work doing what he does best, knocking people out.
5. Jean-Luc “The Hitman” Kazadi (4-3)
Jean-Luc Kazadi has had his stats skewed of late by
successive losses to Demarte Pena in a close majority decision loss and Wesley
Hawkey in a first round submission. The Hitman however has looked impressive in
the hexagon and will be a continue to be a tough fight for any man in the
featherweight division.
View all: South African MMA Rankings
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment