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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Donavin Hawkey sponsored a Toyota Etios by McCarthy Toyota Pinetown

Donavin Hawkey in his sponsored Toyota Etios

EFC Africa Middleweight fighter Donavin "Bam Bamz" Hawkey is scheduled to fight Chett Meyer at EFC Africa 15 this Friday. Ahead of his latest tussle, the Durban based fighter was sponsored a Toyota Etios 1.5 XS car by McCarthy Toyota Pinetown.

It is always fantastic to see companies getting on board and sponsoring MMA fighters, be it apparel or as in this case, a new car. It is a sure sign that the sport is growing in popularity in South Africa.

Donavin Hawkey

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Chett Meyer vs Donavin Hawkey at EFC Africa 15

Prior to announcing general information about EFC Africa 15, the Extreme Fighting Championship has announced one of the big fights for their future event. The Middleweight division will play host to a titanic clash between two former light heavyweight fighters. Chett Meyer (#2 Light Heavyweight Rankings) will drop to middleweight for the first time to face Durban's Donavin Hawkey.

Chett "The Threat" Meyer

Chett Meyer (5-1) is on a three fight winning streak in the EFC's light heavyweight division. The division however lacks depth and this prompted Meyer to drop to middleweight in search of regular high level fights. Meyer will transform from an average sized light heavyweight fighter to a large middleweight and look to test himself in one of the toughest MMA divisions in South Africa.

Chett Meyer

Donavin "Bam Bamz" Hawkey

Donavin Hawkey (20-8) has had mixed results in the EFC, and carries a 1-1 record in to the fight. Once regarded as the top light heavyweight in South Africa, Hawkey has been a man on a mission since his EFC Africa 12 submission loss to Danie van Heerden, and will look to redeem himself at EFC Africa 15. 

Donavin Hawkey

Chett Meyer vs Donavin Hawkey at EFC Africa 15

Chett Meyer and Donavin Hawkey are both established fighters looking to work their way up towards a middleweight title shot. This fight is a great opportunity for either man to put his hand up against a recognised fighter, the winner of which will be all but guaranteed a top 5 middleweight opponent in their next outing. 

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EFC Africa 14 in Durban?

The Extreme Fighting Championship has come a long way since its maiden event in November 2009. Since then the promotion has managed to grow from strength to strength and has produced eleven spectacular MMA events in Johannesburg, South Africa. During this time, the EFC has unsurprisingly  built up a huge fan following in the city. 

The EFC has also very obviously had expansion plans, but to successfully execute these plans, they needed to ensure that they never ostracised the audience that they had worked so hard to build. This meant that they needed to overcome the technological barriers which prevented remote fans from watching MMA events. 

EFC 12 is the first event where this has truly been achieved. With coverage on eTV, in Nu Metro cinemas nationwide and online via PPV, fans from across South Africa and the world are now able to tune into EFC events live! Apart from enabling the EFC to broadcast to interested fans worldwide, this has also enabled the EFC to be mobile and to aggressively seek out and earn new fans, all while sufficiently nurturing their current fans with broadcast coverage.

Quick to act, the EFC has already announced their first non-Johannesburg event, EFC Africa 13 – Jakobi vs Costa, which will take place in Cape Town in April 2012. But where to from there?

With an already thriving MMA community, producing some of the top MMA fighters in the country, including EFC Africa fighters Dallas Jakobi, Wentzel Nel, Donavin Hawkey, Wesley Hawkey and Sean Robinson to name but a few, Durban seems a very likely candidate for EFC Africa 14. The seaside community has also been at the fore of MMA in many regards, and currently hosts many professional and amateur MMA events, though nothing quite the size of EFC. This gives the promotion a great foundation to enter into Durban and build on the already flourishing sport and MMA fan base. This in turn can only be good for the sport in Durban and good for the EFC.

I think it is very likely that we will see the EFC venture into Kwazulu Natal and more specifically Durban in the near future. Will EFC Africa 14 be the first event in the Zulu kingdom? Only time can tell, but I have a hunch that if not EFC 14, it will not be long before we see the EFC coming to Durban.

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Hawkey vs Van Heerden at EFC 12

The EFC has announced another change to its March 2 EFC 12 fight card due to injury. The hugely anticipated middleweight clash between Donavin Hawkey and Tyron Rightford has been cancelled due to Rightford suffering a neck injury in training. Apart from the what this fight promised on paper, both Hawkey and Rightford had taken to twitter to exchange banter, and had gone a long way to promoting this as one of the fights of the night at EFC 12. Many fans have already expressed their disappointment at the news, but wish Tyron Rightford a speedy recovery and hopefully we will see him in action again soon.

In the wake of this news, the EFC wasted no time in finding a replacement for Rightford. Donavin Hawkey (#3 South African MMA Middleweights) will now face EFC veteran Danie van Heerden in a Middleweight fight.

Van Heerden (8-4, 2-2 EFC), who started his EFC career at heavyweight has faced some big opponents in the hexagon, including former heavyweight champion Normal "Chef" Wessels (#3 South African MMA Heavyweights) and J.P Joubert, but dropping to middleweight, Van Heerden believes he can bring a better package to the cage. Van Heerden has been training hard in the hope that an opportunity would come his way and has embraced the opportunity to fight Hawkey. He certainly feels he can win the fight.

Donavin Hawkey, having also fought in higher weight divisions for most of his career, will not be at all intimidated by the larger opponent. While a decent replacement Donavin Hawkey vs Danie van Heerden does not hold the same allure as the previously slated bout between Hawkey and Rightford.

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EFC 12 Donavin Hawkey vs Tyron Rightford fight Preview

With EFC 12 just around the corner, both Donavin Hawkey and Tyron Rightford are fired up for their Middleweight clash. The two fighters have taken to twitter to exchange pleasantries and a public interest in this bout has since ensued. This however is fighting, and all the smack talk in the world isn’t worth much come fight night. So, who will win this fight where it really matters... in the Hexagon? Either way, we are in for a brutal encounter between two warriors.

Donavin “Bam Bamz” Hawkey

Donavin Hawkey (20-7) who debuted in the EFC late last year with a first round knockout of Yehia Akram Deghidy, will look to build upon his Fight force legacy, a promotion which he dominated for a couple of years. With a background in professional boxing, Hawkey has impeccable stand-up abilities, though surprisingly, the fast majority of his victories have come via submission, which highlights just how well versed Bam Bamz is on the ground. Hawkey also has a wealth of fighting experience, having dabbled in professional boxing, won and defended titles in MMA and fought some of the biggest names in the country, including Rico Hattingh (#1 Heavyweight Rankings). Donavin Hawkey is certainly one of the most well rounded and dangerous MMA fighters in the country and will look to prove this come March 2^nd.

Tyron “The Rush” Rightford

Tyron Rightford (3-0) is somewhat of an enigma in the MMA community. With his karate background, The Rush brings a somewhat unorthodox style to the cage which has baffled many of his previous foes. His striking speed and precision is beautiful to watch, and can end fights in an instant. Rightford however has not been thoroughly tested in all facets of his game, and this makes it very difficult to judge just how adept he is in these departments. If history repeats itself however, we shall never know. Fresh off a big win against Jacques Joubert at EFC 11, Tyron Rightford could catapult himself into the halls of the MMA elite with a win over Donavin Hawkey.

Fighter Comparison

Donavin Hawkey has proven time and time what a complete fighter he is, I would give him the edge over Rightford on the ground, as well as the mental edge due to his experience. Standing up, I think this could be a fairly even contest, though I do give Rightford a speed advantage, which could be significant on the night.

Hawkey vs Rightford Fight Prediction

The longer this fight progresses, the more I believe it favours Hawkey. Having more tools at his disposal and vast experience, Hawkey will look to figure out Rightford and exploit his weaknesses over time. The latter rounds, if we get there , will belong to Hawkey. That being said, I believe that Tyron Rightford will continue his vein of form, using his superior speed to land a devastating strike early on and take the upset victory via TKO in the first.

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EFC Africa 12 to be broadcast live on eTV

Following the success of the Extreme Fighting Championships venture into free-to-air terrestrial television with eTV late last year, the EFC now looks forward to a historic 2012. The partnership brought MMA to the mainstream when it aired highlight episodes from EFC 10 and 11, but has much bigger plans come March 2, when Africa will be treated to its first live broadcast of an MMA event.

EFC 12, is the first of 8 EFC events scheduled from 2012 which will have their main card fights broadcast live in South Africa, and a large part of the African continent. What does this mean for MMA in SA? Only big things. eTV is the largest English television station on the continent, and will do wonders for bringing Mixed Martial Arts to the public, which can only help the sport to flourish.

EFC Africa 12 main card fights to be broadcast live
Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith (Middleweight title fight)
Sean Robinson vs Tumelo Maphutha (Light Heavyweight)
Donavin Hawkey vs Tyron Rightford

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Tyron Rightford vs Donavin Hawkey announced for EFC 12

The EFC Africa 12 fight card, set to take place at Carnival City on March 2, has been further bolstered by the addition of much anticipated Middleweight bout between Donavin "Bam Bamz" Hawkey and Tyron"The Rush" Rightford, in a fight which pits the old school MMA legend, Hawkey, against an up and coming MMA prodigy, Rightford.

Although from different eras, both Hawkey and Rightford recently made my Top 5 MMA Middleweights in South Africa list, making this not only one of the feature fights on the card, but one of the most anticipated fights in the EFC’s short history. There is also a lot at stake, as the winner is almost certainly guaranteed a title shot against the winner of EFC 12’s Middleweight title bout between Garreth McLellan and Jeremy Smith.

The addition of this fight may just have solidified EFC Africa 12 as the single best fight card ever produced on African soil.

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EFC Africa 12 – McLellan vs Smith announced

The 2 March 2012 has been finalised as the date and Carnival City the venue for the momentous EFC Africa 12, a milestone in South African MMA history, headlined by the titanic clash between two of the biggest names in South African Mixed martial arts. 

Garreth “Soldierboy” McLellan (6-1) (#2 SA Middleweight Rankings) will defend his EFC Africa Middleweight title for the first time against dangerous challenger  Jeremy “ThePitbull” Smith (10-1) (#1 Middleweight Rankings). Stylistically, one could not ask for a better matchup. The ever aggressive Pitbull will bring the fight to the tactically brilliant Soldierboy in what is arguably the biggest MMA fight on African soil. Both fighters are riding long winning streaks and coupled with the desire for the belt and the obvious “Bad blood” between the two, these warriors are sure to leave everything in the Hexagon come Friday night. This is certainly a fight not to be missed. 

Other notable fights on the card include a Welterweight tussle between Dino “The Lion” Bagattin (8-1) and Martin “The Punisher” Van Staden (18-5), the winner of which is almost certain to earn a title shot against Welterweight champion Dallas Jakobi. The Middleweight division will also be in the limelight as top prospect Tyron “The Rush” Rightford (3-0) takes on MMA veteran Donavin “Bam Bamz” Hawkey (20-7) in another potential number one contender bout.

All in all EFC Africa 12 promises to be a spectacular event. Catch it live at Carnival City, at selected Nu Metro Cinemas or stream the fights live on the EFC Africa website.

Confirmed fight card for EFC 12:

Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith (Middleweight Title fight)

Donavin Hawkey vs Danie Van Heerden
Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman
Wesley Hawkey vs Denzil Wait

Sean Robinson vs Tumelo Maphutha

Wade Henderson vs Josh Muller

Paul Kietzmann vs Ricky Misholas

Francios Groenewald vs Dino Bertolis
Boyd Allen vs Donald Nzirawa
Ryan van Niekerk vs Steven Momah
Pete Motaung vs JP Kruger
Koba Iakobidze vs Gareth Buirski

EFC Africa 12 fight predictions

To view my thoughts on how the fights on this card will pan out, read my article - EFC 12 fight predictions

EFC 12 - McLellan vs Smith Promotional Video

EFC 12 Weigh in Results

The EFC 12 weigh ins will take place on Thursday 1 March 2012 at Carnival City. View the results from the weigh ins here: EFC Africa 12 weigh in results

EFC 12 Results

For full fight results from EFC Africa 12, read my results article: EFC 12 fight results

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Top 5 MMA Middleweights in South Africa

The Middleweight division in South African MMA is stacked, to say the least. With many of the country’s most talented and experienced fighters crammed into one weight class, it is sure to produce some interesting matchups and plenty of fireworks in the near future. This Middleweight ranking list has been compiled based upon my knowledge of the fighters, their performance history as well as recent form. Without further ado, I give you my South African Middleweight rankings:

  

1.       Jeremy “The Pitbull” Smith (10–1)

Jeremy Smith has been involved in South African MMA from its humble beginnings and has seen and done it all. The Pitbull has competed at the highest levels in South African MMA and is one of the few South African fighters to have enjoyed success in the United States. Jeremy brings a wealth of experience to the Hexagon, coupled with his brutal kickboxing and ground and pound. Currently undefeated in the EFC, Smith is confident that he can take the EFC Africa Middleweight crown from current title-holder Garreth McLellan in March 2012 and cement his place as MMA’s top Middleweight in the country.

2.       Garreth “Soldierboy” McLellan (6-1)

EFC Africa’s Middleweight poster boy and reigning champion, Garreth McLellan has been a stalwart in the promotion right from the start. Having bested the likes of Wade Henderson and recently Jacques Joubert to capture the title, McLellan has proved to be a complete fighter, with no apparent weaknesses. Fighting out of the dominant Fight Fit Militia club, McLellan will certainly be prepared to face Jeremy Smith in their upcoming EFC Middleweight Title bout, the winner of which will no doubt lay claim to the title of top MMA Middleweight in South Africa.

3.       Donavin “Bam Bamz” Hawkey (20-7)

A relative newcomer to the EFC Middleweight division, Hawkey is no slouch in the cage. With 27 professional bouts to his name, Donavin Hawkey made a name for himself in various other local promotions as a Light Heavyweight. Widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the country, Hawkey, who boasts exceptional stand-up pedigree, will likely find a permanent home on this list as he begins to stretch his legs in the hexagon.

4.       Darren “Double D” Daniel (5-1)

Darren Daniel is highly respected amongst the MMA elite. With notable wins over some of South Africa’s top MMA fighters, including current EFC Africa Welterweight champion Dallas Jakobi, Daniel is surely one of the greatest fighting talents South Africa has produced. Another Fight Fit Militia product, Daniel is ever improving as a fighter. Although quiet of late, there are whispers of Daniel’s return to the EFC and upon his return, is at most one win away from an EFC Africa Middleweight title shot.

5.       Tyron “The Rush” Rightford (3-0)

A newcomer to MMA and the EFC, Rightford has quickly risen through the Middleweight ranks, besting everyone put in front him. The Rush’s recent demolition of MMA veteran Jacques Joubert at EFC Africa 11 earned him a position on this list and identified him as genuine contender in the Middleweight division. With a style similar to former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, Tyron Rightford uses his explosive Karate to simply outclass his opponents on the feet. If his, as of yet untested, ground game is solid, Rightford  could very well be a future EFC Africa Middleweight champion.

View all: South African MMA Rankings

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