Matches to make after EFC 15

With EFC 15 done and dusted, the EFC finally has full contingent of champions for the first time. The event has created some interesting opportunities for future fights. Here are 5 fights I think the EFC should consider in the near future.

5 future fights to make

Costa Ioannou vs Leon Mynhardt (Lightweight title fight)

With back to back wins against quality opponents in the lightweight division, Leon Mynhardt has announced his arrival. The Iron Lion, a very decorated and dangerous striker, has a skill set unlike any of Ioannou’s previous opponents and may prove to be his toughest adversary yet.  With Costa Ioannou in need of a challenger, Mynhardt may be just what the matchmaker ordered.

JP Joubert vs Jason Culverwell (Light heavyweight title fight)

Newly crowned light heavyweight champion JP Joubert will want to get back into the cage and prove that his title win was no fluke. With the lack of depth in the light heavyweight division and Jason Culverwell sitting on a 2-0 EFC record, the promotion really doesn’t have any other option but to throw the young fighter into the deep end. Culverwell’s performance at EFC 15 will go a long way to convince fans that he is ready.

Donavin Hawkey vs Darren Daniel

Darren Daniel and Donavin Hawkey both made big statements at EFC 15. With Smith vs McLellan 2 all but certain, the elite middleweights will have to wait their turn for a shot at the title. Daniel vs Hawkey would be a great way to keep both fighters active, determine a definite number one middleweight contender and give the MMA community something to cheer about.

Martin van Staden vs Dallas Jakobi

Martin van Staden and Dallas Jakobi are both looking to work their way back towards title contention. Once a potential welterweight title fight, Van Staden vs Jakobi would be a great test for each fighter and help to solidify the top 5 welterweight rankings.

Tyron Rightford vs Dino Bagattin

Rumours about Tyron Rightford dropping to welterweight have been circling for a while. On Thursday afternoon at the EFC 15 weigh-ins it became clear why - Rightford looked a weight division smaller than his opponent Darren Daniel. A drop to welterweight seems inevitable for Tyron Rightford and a matchup between Rightford and Bagattin at welterweight has fight of the night written all over it. 

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EFC 15 fighter analysis

EFC Africa 15 was a great event, with many high profile fights. Here are the fighters whom I believe seized the opportunity afforded by EFC 15 to impress.

Fighters who impressed at EFC 15

JC Lamprecht

JC Lamprecht looked great in his professional debut against Hector Britts. The young welterweight is a great addition to the EFC roster and I look forward to watching him fight again.

Donavin Hawkey

Donavin Hawkey looked clinical in his victory over Chett Meyer at middleweight. Hawkey looked impressive standing and on the ground, submitting Meyer early in the first round.

Andrew van Zyl

Andrew van Zyl was too good for Mohmed Karim. Van Zyl showed impressive agility on the ground, transitioning effortlessly between positions and attempting multiple submissions before finally winning via TKO in the dying seconds of the first round.

Martin van Staden

Martin van Staden stood and traded with Dino Bagattin for the first two rounds of their welterweight clash. The FFM fighter then took the fight to the ground in the third and managed to submit Bagattin. In doing so, Van Staden demonstrated just how well rounded his MMA game is, though I am still questioning why he didn’t go for the take down earlier.

Leon Mynhardt

Leon Mynhardt looked impressive in his submission win against Alex Cheboub. Mynhardt managed to land shots while standing and stay out of trouble on the ground against the ever dangerous Cheboub. The Iron Lion then performed the impossible by submitting Cheboub via Guillotine choke in the second round.

Darren Daniel

Darren Daniel’s return to the EFC Hexagon was a successful one. Double D managed to take Tyron Rightford down and keep him there, landing vicious ground and pound until the referee was forced to stop the fight. Daniel showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division.

Jason Culverwell

Jason Culverwell proved what a warrior he is in his light heavyweight fight with Raymond Ahana. Culverwell had to work really hard against a strong Ahana, who refused to give in. After various submission attempts, Culverwell eventually managed to stop Ahana with strikes in the third round.

Garreth McLellan

Garreth McLellan was efficient as ever as he marched through Armand de Bruyn at EFC 15. McLellan, who is rallying for a rematch with Jeremy Smith, showed the MMA community that he is hungrier than ever to get his title back.

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EFC 15 in retrospect

EFC 15 was another landmark event for the promotion, eventually crowning the first EFC Africa light heavyweight champion. Here was the event as I saw it.

My EFC 15 predictions

I was not altogether unhappy with my predictions for this event. For a few of the fights, though I did get the winners wrong, the nature of the fight was very much as expected. There were however some real surprises for me, most notably the Kabulu / Buirski fight, which did not go at all as expected.

Correct fight predictions: 8/13

Correct main card fight predictions: 2/3

My fight of the night

The fight of the night for me was the light heavyweight title fight between JP Joubert and Norman Wessels. Though certainly not the most technically brilliant fight of the evening, it was an exciting scrap and I found myself completely absorbed as the two giants slugged it out. At times it felt as if the athletes were powered by sheer will alone. The entertainment value of this fight was unsurpassed on the night.

My submission of the night

Leon Mynhardt’s Guillotine choke submission of Alex Cheboub was the best submission of the night. Although Mynhardt was favoured to win the fight, not many expected the Iron Lion to be able to hold his own on the ground against talented grappler Alex Cheboub.  Mynhardt showed a hugely improved knowledge of the grappling disciple, a pre requisite if he is to get his wish of facing lightweight champion Costa Ioannou.

My knockout of the night

JP Joubert’s TKO of Norman Wessels via punches in their light heavyweight title fight was my Knock out of the night. Joubert unloaded some clean punches onto Wessels to finish the fight in the second round and earn himself the light heavyweight title.

My fighter of the night

Donavin Hawkey looked focussed and clinical as he submitted former #1 ranked light heavyweight Chett Meyer. Hawkey looked comfortable standing and on the ground and proved that he should not be taken lightly in the stacked middleweight division.

Surprise fighter of the night

JC Lamprecht looked impressive in his EFC Africa & professional debut. The Shido fighter was aggressive from the get go, showing good offence and defence on the ground en route a first round submission victory over Hector Britts. 

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JP Joubert is the new EFC Africa light heavyweight champion

JP Joubert is the new EFC Africa light weight champion! 

The Bull defeated Norman Wessels via TKO in the second round of their light heavyweight clash at EFC 15 last night. 

JP Joubert vs Norman Wessels at EFC 15

It was not one way traffic however, as Wessels took control of the fight early, taking Joubert to the ground in the first round and landing some heavy ground and pound. Joubert looked all but beaten as the first round drew to a close, staring down at the floor at times... but he never stopped punching. 

Round two saw a strange turn around as Wessels seemed to lose momentum in the break. The two stood and traded and Joubert seemed to be back in the fight, swinging heartily at the former Heavyweight champion. Though Wessels did take control of the second for moments, it was Jouberts ability to keep punching which eventually won him the title. 

As the second round closed, both men seemed to have nothing left, out on their feet they stood and traded, spurred on by nothing but heart. Joubert landed a few big shots which eventually put Chef away and earned him the title of EFC Africa light heavyweight champion.

Click here for full EFC 15 fight results

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EFC Africa 15 Weigh in video

The EFC 15 weigh in's took place at Carnival City yesterday. The Extreme Fighting Championship released a full video of the weigh in event today for those who missed the live broadcast.

Here are the full results from the weigh in: EFC 15 weigh in results

EFC 15 Weigh in video

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EFC 15 fight results

Here are the full professional MMA fight results from EFC Africa 15, held at Carnival City on 27 July 2012. Fight results will be updated as the action unfolds.

EFC 15 fight results

Fight	Winner	Opponent	Round	Method
1	Lance Ceronio	Mahmoud Salama	1	Submission (Rear-naked Choke)
2	JC Lamprecht	Hector Britts	1	Submission (Key-lock)
3	Boyd Allen	Alain Ilunga	2	Submission (Strikes)
4	Francois Kabulu	David Buirski	3	Unanimous decision
5	Liam Cleland	Tumelo Maphuta	3	Disqualification (Kicking downed opponent)
6	Donavin Hawkey	Chett Meyer	1	Submission (Guillotine choke)
7	Andrew van Zyl	Mohamed Karim	1	TKO (Strikes)
8	Martin van Staden	Dino Bagattin	3	Submission (Darce Choke)
9	Leon Mynhardt	Alex Cheboub	2	Submission (Guillotine choke)
10	Darren Daniel	Tyron Rightford	2	TKO (Strikes)
11	Jason Culverwell	Raymond Ahana	3	TKO (Strikes)
12	Garreth McLellan	Armand de Bruyn	1	Submission (Rear-naked choke)
13	JP Joubert	Norman Wessels	2	TKO (Strikes)

EFC 15 fight analysis

How EFC 15 fights ended

Fights won by KO/TKO	4
Fights won by Submission	7
Fights won by Decision	1

When EFC 15 fights ended

Fights ended in the first round	5
Fights ended in the second round	4
Fights ended in the third round	2
Fights ended in the fourth round	0
Fights that went the distance	2

Who won EFC 15 fights

Fights won by BetXchange favourite	8
Fights won by BetXchange underdog	5

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EFC 15 Weigh in results

The EFC 15 weigh-ins took place at Carnival City this afternoon.  Tensions were high as many of the combatants have made no secret of their intentions over the past few months. Despite some pushing and shoving however, there was nothing noteworthy.

Light heavyweight title contender JP Joubert missed weight by 400g, fortunately The Bull managed to shed the offensive weight in the two hour grace period and we are good to go on the title fight. Alex Cheboub missed weight for the second event in a row and was fined.

Most of the athletes looked in impeccable shape, many of whom claim to have made weight with relative ease.

With the weigh-ins done and dusted, we are on the home stretch to the main event. I can’t wait!

EFC 15 Weigh-in results

Mahmoud Salama	89.9kg	93kg	Lance Ceronio
Hector Britts	74kg	76.07kg	JC Lamprecht
Alain Ilunga	66.15kg	65.65kg	Boyd Allen
Francois Kabulu	76.5kg	76.85kg	David Buirski
Tumelo Maphutha	84kg	83.2kg	Liam Cleland
Donavin Hawkey	83.6kg	84kg	Chett Meyer
Mohamed Karim	104.5kg	118.5kg	Andrew van Zyl
Martin van Staden	76.65kg	77.2kg	Dino Bagattin
Alex Cheboub	70.9kg**	70kg	Leon Mynhardt
Darren Daniel	83.7kg	83.4kg	Tyron Rightford
Jason Culverwell	89.2kg	89.4kg	Raymond Ahana
Armand de Bruyn	83.45kg	83.55kg	Garreth McLellan
JP Joubert	93.4kg*	92.4kg	Norman Wessels

* JP Joubert was 400g overweight but made weight after a two hour grace period.

** Alex Cheboub was fined for missing weight

EFC 15 Weigh-in Photos

Armand de Bruyn vs Garreth McLellan

Darren Daniel vs Tyron Rightford

Martin van Staden vs Dino Bagattin

Images courtesy of EFC Africa. To view the full official EFC 15 photo gallery, click here

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Leon Mynhardt vs Don Madge EFC 13 fight video

Ahead of EFC Africa 15 on Friday, the Extreme Fighting Championship has released a free fight video for the MMA fans.

Leon Mynhardt vs Don Madge at EFC 13 was a bloody war, surrounded by controversy. The two lightweight stand-up specialists traded blows for the better part of three rounds. The fight was my EFC 13 fight of the night as well as the official EFC Africa fight of the night. This fight is now available to watch online courtesy of the EFC and is a must watch for all South African MMA fans.

Leon Mynhardt is set to face Alex Cheboub at EFC Africa 15.

Leon Mynhardt vs Don Madge EFC 13 fight video

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Richie Quan interview on The Octagon

Richie Quan is the head coach at successful South African MMA team Fightfit Militia. Quan has coached many of SA's best fighters, including:

• Demarte Pena (EFC featherweight champion)
• Costa Ioannou (EFC lightweight champion)
• Garreth McLellan (Former EFC Africa middleweight champion)
• Norman Wessels (Former EFC Africa heavyweight champion)

Richie Quan also holds a perfect 7-0 professional MMA record as a lightweight fighter.

Richard Quan interview topics

The interview with Richie Quan covers the following topics:

• How Richard Quan got involved in martial arts
• Fighting and training in the US
• How the name Fightfit Militia came about
• About Don Madge and his abilities
• The prospect of Richie Quan returning to competitive fighting in the future 
• Working with big name fighters like Renato Sobral, Pe de Pano and Cub Swanson
• Fighting and training in Thailand
• The state of MMA in South Africa upon his return to the country
• Level of MMA in South Africa
• Training camps at Fightfit Militia
• Richard Quan vs Luiz Mendes at EFC Africa 2
• Norman Wessels vs Ruan Potts
• Norman Wessels vs Chett Meyer at light heavyweight
• Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith at EFC Africa 12
• Potential fight between Jeremy Smith and Jadyson Costa at welterweight
• Woman's MMA in South Africa
• Richard Quan's opinion on performance enhancing drugs in MMA
• Fighting against Leo Gloss in the future

Richard Quan interview

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Norman Wessels interview on The Octagon

Two months ago light heavyweight title contender Norman "Chef" Wessels (5-2) was interviewed by Bad Billy from The Octagon on my Telespace. Chef, a former EFC Africa heavyweight champion will face JP Joubert at EFC 15 on Friday, he is currently ranked #1 in my light heavyweight rankings.

Norman Wessels interview topics

The interview with Norman Wessels covers the following topics:

• Early martial arts inspiration
• The start of Fightfit Militia
• Coaching at Fightfit Militia
• Nutrition in MMA from the Chef
• Fighting at heavyweight in the future
• Norman Wessels vs Bertus Coetzee at EFC Africa 1
• Fighting Danie van Heerden at EFC Africa 2
• On Bernardo Mikixi and his strength
• Fighting Ruan Potts for the heavyweight title
• Training at Tristar in Canada with Georges St-Pierre
• Dropping to light heavyweight 
• Fighting Dain Neveling at EFC 13
• Fighting against MMA teammates, in particular Chett Meyer
• The possibility of fighting against Trevor Prangley
• Norman Wessels vs Tito Ortiz
• Fighting in other promotions overseas

Norman Wessels interview

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JP Joubert vs Norman Wessels EFC 15 light heavyweight title preview video

With mere days to go until the EFC's first light heavyweight title fight, the Extreme Fighting Championship has released its final preview video for the bout. Unsurprisingly, both Norman "Chef" Wessels and JP "The Bull" Joubert are extremely confident that they will take the belt home at EFC 15.

JP Joubert vs Norman Wessels EFC 15 light heavyweight title preview

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UFC 150: Henderson vs Edgar Preview video

UFC 150 will host the lightweight title rematch between champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar. This is Edgar's third title rematch in two years and he will be hoping that history will repeat itself and allow him to reclaim his spot atop the lightweight division. The UFC released a preview video today to promote the upcoming fight.

Benson Henderson vs Frankie Edgar UFC 150 Preview video

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EFC 15 Betting Odds

Keith Ho BetXchange, the official betting partners of the Extreme Fighting Championship have released their betting odds for EFC 15. Having already taken time out to make my EFC 15 fight predictions, it was interesting to see how the bookies saw the fights. Odds aside, the bookies have been quite successful in predicting the winners in 2012. The BetXchange favourite has won 20 of the 35 fights they have opened.

EFC 15 betting odds

Mahmoud Salama	15/10	5/10	Lance Ceronio
Hector Britts	4/10	16/10	JC Lamprecht
Alain Ilunga	5/2	1/4	Boyd Allen
Francois Kabulu	16/10	4/10	David Buirski
Tumelo Maphutha	11/10	7/10	Liam Cleland
Donavin Hawkey	16/10	4/10	Chett Meyer
Mohamed Karim	4/1	1/6	Andrew van Zyl
Martin van Staden	8/10	1/1	Dino Bagattin
Alex Cheboub	12/10	6/10	Leon Mynhardt
Darren Daniel	1/3	2/1	Tyron Rightford
Jason Culverwell	9/10	9/10	Raymond Ahana
Armand de Bruyn	6/1	1/10	Garreth McLellan
JP Joubert	16/10	4/10	Norman Wessels

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