5 most momentous EFC Africa events

The Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) has become synonymous with MMA in South Africa. Over the past two and a half years, the promotion has taken the sport to new heights and continues to build on this platform with each event. Here is my list of the most momentous EFC Africa events in the promotions short history.

EFC Africa 1

Date: 12 November 2009

Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg

Reason: First EFC Africa event

As the inaugural event for the Extreme Fighting Championship, it is not surprising that EFC 01 opens this list. EFC 01 raised the bar for MMA in South Africa, and rivalled many international promotions with its professionalism. The event, held at the Coca Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg, had professional fighters, impressive electronics and a big marketing budget, allowing EFC Africa to target a fan base otherwise overlooked. The fight card featured some of today’s biggest names including Garreth McLellan, Leo Gloss, Norman Wessels, Wentzel Nel, Dino Bagattin and was headlined by a international fight between Chris Bright and Gabriel Casillas.

EFC Africa 03 - Nel vs Gloss

Date: 8 May 2010

Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg

Reason: First EFC Africa champion crowned

EFC Africa 03 was the first EFC event to host a title fight. This momentous occasion was a lightweight title fight between Wentzel “The Animal” Nel and Leo Gloss. Both fighters had competed in the previous two EFC events and were 2-0 in the promotion. In the end Wentzel Nel managed to win via first round KO to become the first ever EFC Africa champion. Other notable fighters on the card were Costa Ioannou, Brendon Katz, Garreth McLellan, Adam Speechly and Dino Bagattin.

EFC Africa 11 - Ioannou vs Cheboub & Potts vs Van Zyl

Date: 10 November 2011

Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg

Reason: First EFC Africa title defence

They say a fighter is never truly a champion until he has defended his title. EFC Africa 11 saw the first “True EFC Champions” unveiled as both Costa Ioannou and Ruan Potts became the first EFC Champions to successfully defended their belts. Lightweight champion Costa Ioannou defeated Alex Cheboub via rear naked choke and heavyweight champion Ruan Potts defeated Andrew van Zyl via guillotine choke. Ioannou pipped Potts by mere minutes to become the first ever champion to achieve this feat.  This fight card was stacked with great fighting talent.

EFC Africa 12 – McLellan vs Smith

Date: 02 March 2012

Venue: Carnival City, Johannesburg

Reason: First live TV broadcast of an MMA event in Africa

Being the first MMA event to be broadcast live on TV, EFC Africa 12 was a huge leap forward for the both Extreme Fighting Championship and MMA in Africa. The free eTV broadcast, which featured the four main card bouts, took MMA to a far wider audience than had previously been possible. Figures released after the event reported that over 1.6million viewers tuned into the maiden broadcast. The event was headlined by a middleweight title fight between Garreth McLellan and Jeremy Smith and supported by main card fights Wesley Hawkey vs Denzil Wait, Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman and Sean Robinson vs Raymond Ahana.

EFC Africa 13 – Jakobi vs Costa

Date: 13 April 2012

Venue: GrandWest Casino, Cape Town

Reason: First EFC Africa event outside Johannesburg

After twelve consecutive events in Johannesburg, EFC Africa 13 was the EFC’s first event outside of the city of gold. With a fight card stacked with Cape Town’s finest fighting talent, the EFC hoped take their live event to a whole new South African audience. Headlined by a title fight between Dallas Jakobi and Jadyson Costa, EFC 13 was well received and supported by the Cape Town community, who really got behind their fighters – Abrie Valentine, James Le Roux, Francois Kabulu, Don Madge, Bernardo Mikixi and Jadyson Costa. Hopefully this will be the first of many great events to venture into new cities around South Africa.  

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5 Matches to make after EFC 12

Costa Ioannou

EFC Africa 12 was a great event, showcasing some great local fighting talent. A week later, the dust having settled, we are once more able to look forward to some great future MMA events. EFC 13 is just around the corner, and rumours of EFC 14 in May have already started to circle. Here is my list of matches to make post EFC 12:

Jeremy Smith vs Tyron Rightford

Middleweight Title Fight

Jeremy Smith realised his dream of being the EFC Africa Middleweight champion by defeating Garreth McLellan at EFC 12. Now at the top, he will have a host of hungry fighters nipping at his heels and Smith will have his work cut out for him staying atop a stacked Middleweight division. Contender Tyron Rightford (#4 Middleweight Rankings) is perfectly poised to challenge the new champion, having strung together 3 straight wins in the EFC Hexagon. Both Smith and Rightford are dangerous strikers and regular finishers and this promises to be an explosive standing battle.

Demarte Pena vs Wesley Hawkey

Featherweight Title Fight

This fight is a no brainer and already seems to be in the pipelines. When Wesley Hawkey defeated Denzil Wait at EFC 12, he solidified his position as the number one contender for the featherweight title, a title which is held by Demarte Pena. Pena has defeated some of the EFC’s top featherweight fighters, but has yet to be truly dominant in a bout. Hawkey, who has finished all of his EFC opponents in under two minutes, will prove a great test for the young champion.

Costa Ioannou vs Ryan van Niekerk

Lightweight Title Fight

Costa Ioannou has been out of action since his first title defence at EFC 11 almost 5 months ago. The dominant lightweight champion will surely be itching to return to the Hexagon. Ioannou has already defeated most of the top contenders in his division, which makes matchmaking a chore. Enter Ryan van Niekerk, a former fight force champion, whose EFC 12 victory against Markus Taljaard increased his current win streak to 4. This battle of the lightweight champions will be a great matchup between two fighters with very different styles.

Garreth McLellan vs Danie van Heerden

Middleweight Fight

Garreth McLellan showed the qualities of a champion, both inside and outside the Hexagon, in his EFC 12 clash with Jeremy Smith. The former middleweight champion will be looking to rebuild after his first defeat in the hexagon, and who better to test him than the new Danie van Heerden. Van Heerden has fought some of the biggest names in the EFC, but has never looked as good as he did on Friday night. Was it a fluke, or is Van Heerden the real deal at middleweight? McLellan will reveal the answer.

Michiel Opperman vs Martin van Staden

Welterweight Fight

Michiel Opperman’s submission victory over Dino Bagattin at EFC 12 shook up the welterweight división. For many months, the EFC has been trying to get Bagattin and van Staden into the cage to determine the number one welterweight contender. With his victory over Bagattin, the honour of fighting Martin van Staden is now bestowed on Opperman. Martin Van Staden is already back in training after his untimely injury earlier this year, and this bout will be a great test for both men.

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EFC 12 Fighter Analysis

At EFC 12, twenty four professional Mixed Martial Artists entered the Hexagon. Some had been squarely focused on this event for almost a year - living and breathing it. Others, last minute injury replacements, for just over a day. EFC Africa 12 was set to be a huge night for South African MMA, and a defining moment for many of the participating fighters' careers.

The EFC 12 fight results are in and unfortunately on the day, twelve of these warriors could not win. Here are my thoughts on the fighters based on their performance, not the eventual result.


EFC 12 – Fighters who impressed me on the night

Koba Iakobidze
Though Iakobidze lost his fight against Gareth Buirski via submission, the Georgian boxer looked incredibly quick and accurate with his punches. On the feet, Iakobidze looked as good as they come and with a bit of work on his take down defence and all round ground game, Koba Iakobidze will be a handful in the featherweight division.

Ryan van Niekerk and Markus Taljaard
With similar fighting styles, both fighters impressed me with their striking ability. Their fast paced punch exchanges not only showed quality offense, but great counter-punching ability. Rumour has it that Ryan van Niekerk broke his hand in the first, which makes this all the more impressive. Their lack of diversity is somewhat concerning though, as neither fighter varied their attack much.

Boyd Allen
Boyd Allen looked the real deal as he picked apart a very experienced Donald Nzirawa. On the feet he looked crisp and accurate, and he seemed to have a solid enough defensive ground game to boot. Training out of the acclaimed FightFit Militia team, Boyd Allen looks to have a bright future in the Hexagon ahead of him.

JP Kruger
A traditional striker, Kruger didn’t care much to muck about on the feet and looked to get dangerous striker Pete Motaung to the ground. Though his technique was often imperfect and I found myself shouting direction at him, Kruger surprised and impressed me just how comfortable he was on his back. With visibly improving ground game and a solid striking background, JP Kruger looks set for a Middleweight climb.

Danie van Heerden
Another South African fighter to realise the importance of fighting at the correct weight, Danie van Heerden looked great at Middleweight. He was aggressive and showed quick hands in the stand-up and showed great resolve and tenacity on the ground. There is still room for improvement on the ground and some hard work to do to complete his all round game. That being said, this was definitely the best Danie van Heerden I have seen and with a huge win under his belt van Heerden can look forward to some high quality opposition on his next outing.

Michiel Opperman
Opperman looked calm under fire as he traded evenly with top welterweight contender Dino Bagattin. The kickboxer from Pretoria also seemed to get the better of Bagattin in the kicking department, and his leg kicks seemed to be taking a toll on The Lion. Opperman capped off a solid performance on the feet with a triangle choke to prove he is a complete fighter. With this win, 6 straight now, Opperman catapults himself into the upper ranks of the welterweight division.

Wesley Hawkey
Renowned for his boxing, Wesley Hawkey the self proclaimed “White belt in jits” showed a very impressive ground game in his featherweight bout against Denzil Wait. Hawkey, who was taken down early attempted multiple near submissions before landing a brutal armbar to end the fight and earn his featherweight title shot. With what looks like a complete game, the Young Assassin will be a worthy adversary for reigning champion Demarte Pena.

Garreth McLellan
Garreth McLellan impressed me to no end in his title fight with Jeremy Smith. Coming into the bout an underdog, Soldierboy mixed his game up nicely and at times dominated the fight. McLellan had opportunities to finish the fight, but was unable to do so and in the fourth round was punished for his sole mistake. At the time I had the fight all squared up. A great effort by a great champion, we have certainly not heard the last of Garreth “Soldierboy” McLellan.

Jeremy Smith
Jeremy “The Pitbull” Smith showed just why he is rated one of the top fighters in the country. Calm under pressure, The Pitbull managed to recover from a couple of precarious situations and to capitalise on McClellan’s single mistake to become the new EFC Africa Middleweight champion. Jeremy Smith, who is known for his aggressive striking, showed great patience throughout the fight and ironically won via submission in the fourth round.

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Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith – EFC 12 fight review

Dangerous middleweight contender Jeremy Smith (10-1) defeated Liam Cleland in his EFC Africa debut. With a very impressive resume and a win in the EFC Hexagon under his belt, this was enough to earn the infamous Pitbull a shot at the EFC Middleweight belt. Standing in his way, however was EFC Middleweight Champion Garreth McLellan (6-1), who had put together 5 straight wins in the Hexagon and was looking formidable at 84kg. The contrast of styles both in the Hexagon and in personality made this match an exciting one, and with months to prepare, it was being billed as the biggest fight on African soil. EFC 12 couldn't come soon enough.

Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith Promo Video 

McLellan vs Smith – Tale of the tape

	Garreth McLellan	Jeremy Smith
Nationality:	South African	South African
Age:	30	27
Weight:	83kg	83kg
Height:	185cm	177cm
Reach:	70cm	63cm

McLellan came into the fight with both a height and reach advantage. This was very noticeable in the Hexagon as he towered over Smith. They did however weigh virtually the same, and the extra muscle was noticeable on the Pitbull, who looked his usual powerful self.

From the very beginning there was a camaraderie between the two fighters, the smack talk clearly  being left outside the Hexagon. When brought together for the pre-fight briefing, they touched gloves and wished each other luck in a showing that resembled old friends more than bitter rivals.

The opening bell too, saw them touching gloves and then the action began. Jeremy Smith looked calm as he pressed the action, stalking McLellan around the Hexagon. After a few brief exchanges, the two clinched and began to work away on each other’s bodies, this was to be the story of round one. Soldierboy did manage some spectacular Judo throws, which scored him valuable points, and would have gone a long way to increasing his confidence, had Smith not used his incredible power and technique to roll out of danger and often end up in the dominant position. Smith I felt got the better of the exchanges and landed the bigger shots, and I chalked round 1 in his favour. My score: 10-9 Jeremy Smith.

Round two saw the fighters immediately returning to work on wearing each other down. Both McLellan and Smith worked the legs nicely, landing some vicious leg kicks. The highlight of the round was when Garreth McLellan managed to take Smith’s back, sinking in both hooks and working for a rear naked choke. Smith defended brilliantly and never looked uncomfortable, his patience paid off as he was able to escape the position and return to his feet. Still, McLellan did enough in this round to take it.. My score:19-19.

Round three seemed very much like a recovery round for Smith, who stopped pressing the action and held back waiting for Soldierboy to engage. A much slower round, McLellan refused to play the Pitbull’s game and continued to pepper him with shots from a distance. A late flurry from Smith did enough to tie the round up and keep the scoreboard neutral. My score: 29-29.

Round four saw Jeremy returning to his aggressive ways and he pressed the action once more. An early kick was caught by Soldierboy, who immediately went in for the take down. Smith however reacted quickly, closing a guillotine choke around McLellan’s neck and freeing his legs to take full guard. The effort put into the submission was evident on Smith’s face and body as he forced himself to crank the choke... seconds later Garreth McLellan tapped out. It was all over, Jeremy “The Pitbull” Smith is the new EFC Africa Middleweight Champion!

Jeremy Smith was humble in victory, as was Garreth McLellan in defeat, showing what true champions they both are. As fighters however, I was more impressed. Jeremy Smith showed his experience and was composed throughout the fight, even when he was in adverse situations. Garreth McLellan, having not had many tough fights to date and comparatively inexperienced,  impressed me immensely by managing to hold his own with one of the best and most experienced fighters in the country. I think this will go a long way to helping Garreth McLellan evolve as a fighter and I am certain we will see him challenging for the belt again in the near future.

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EFC 12 fight results

Here are the fight results from EFC Africa 12, held at Carnival city on 2 March 2012.

Winner	Opponent	Round	Method
Dino Bertolis	Francois Groenewald	3	Unanimous decision
Gareth Buirski	Koba Iakobidza	3	Submission (Guillotine choke)
Wade Henderson	Josh Muller	1	Verbal Submission (Strikes)
Ryan van Niekerk	Markus Taljaard	3	Unanimous decision
Boyd Allen	Donald Nzirawa	3	Unanimous decision
Ricky Misholas	Paul Kietzmann	2	KO (Punch)
JP Kruger	Pete Motaung	2	Submission (Triangle choke)
Danie van Heerden	Donavin Hawkey	1	Submission (Rear naked choke)
Raymond Ahana	Sean Robinson	2	KO (Head kick)
Michiel Opperman	Dino Bagattin	2	Submission (Triangle choke)
Wesley Hawkey	Denzil Wait	1	Submission (Armbar)
Jeremy Smith	Garreth McLellan	4	Submission (Guillotine choke)

How EFC 12 fights ended

Fights won by KO/TKO	2
Fights won by Submission	7
Fights won by Decision	3

When EFC 12 fights ended

Fights ended in the first round	3
Fights ended in the second round	4
Fights ended in the third round	1
Fights ended in the fourth round	1
Fights that went the distance	3

Who won EFC 12 fights

Fights won by BetXchange favourite	4
Fights won by BetXchange underdog	7

*BetXchange only had 11 fights due to bouts being changed

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EFC Africa 12 in retrospect

EFC Africa 12 has been building up for months, I often wondered if the day would ever arrive, then BAM! In what seems like a fleeting moment, it has been and gone, and all we are left with is memories of a great evening, oh and the prospect of another great event in EFC 13 looming on the horizon.

Over my next few articles I will be dissecting the event, the fights and the fighters in a lot more detail. To start, here is an overview of the MMA event that was EFC Africa 12.


My EFC 12 predictions
After starting with a bang, getting the first two fights almost bang on the money, things went horribly awry for my predictions. Just goes to show, anything is possible in fighting. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw at the event, many of the fighters showing huge improvement. Fortunately, I did manage to finish strong, predicting the two main event fight winners correctly. Click here to see my EFC 12 predictions

Prediction results: 4/10*
*two fights were changed last minute and I didn’t predict winners for them

My fight of the night
The main event – Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith for the EFC Africa Middleweight title. This fight had it all, two great fighters, huge pre-fight hype and a back and forth tussle worthy of a title fight. The combatants showed great skill and game planning to fight to a veritable stalemate, but not the boring kind. Each punch was answered and each round favouring a different fighter. This is a must see fight for all MMA fans.

My submission of the night
Wesley Hawkey managed to defy the odds by submitting grappling specialist Denzil Wait with a beautifully executed and downright brutal armbar to earn himself a title shot at featherweight champion Demarte Pena. Hawkey was dominant on the ground and had Wait in precarious positions a few times before finally executing his match winning submission.

My knockout of the night
After a rather boring opening round, Raymond Ahana unleashed a savage head kick to finish firm favourite Sean Robinson in their light heavyweight main card bout. Robinson dropped lifeless to the canvas and was pounced upon by Ahana, who had to be wrestled off his fallen opponent by referee Wikus Swart.

My fighter of the night
Wesley Hawkey was clinical in his victory against tough competitor Denzil Wait. Hawkey looked comfortable both standing and on his back and showed a completely well rounded MMA game. The future looks bright for the Young Assassin.

Surprise fighter of the night
Danie van Heerden was a revelation in his return to the Hexagon at Middleweight. Facing a very dangerous opponent in Donavin Hawkey, van Heerden looked sharp standing and showed a much improved ground game. He did struggle at times on the ground and was once caught deep in a Hawkey armbar, but van Heerden managed to escape, regain a dominant position and take the victory. The new Danie van Heerden looks good!

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Jeremy Smith is the new EFC Africa Middleweight Champion

Johannesburg, 2 March 2012. After a lifetime of hard work, many years polishing his game,  many intense months of banter riddle training and a few rounds in the EFC Africa Hexagon, Jeremy “The Pitbull” Smith finally earned the most coveted title in South African MMA – The EFC Africa Middleweight title.

Headlining EFC 12’s main event, Jeremy Smith battled hard with former Middleweight champion Garreth McLellan for 3 rounds, with each fighter giving his best and receiving that of the other. Then, early in the fourth McLellan made a costly error, giving up his neck and allowing The Pitbull to capitalise on the exposed appendage. This would be the end of Soldierboy’s night and with it his reign atop the South African MMA Middlweight division, as Jeremy Smith locked in a tight guillotine choke which forced McLellan to tap.

A true champion, Jeremy Smith was humble in victory and thanked Garreth McLellan for the fight, saying he enjoyed it very much. In fact, the fight itself was fought in great spirits between the two opponents, who obviously have a healthy respect for each other. This however did not stop them from unloading some vicious shots on each other in a fight which certainly delivered on all the hype.

Both gentlemen are great ambassadors for the sport of MMA in South Africa, and their epic action packed main event fight will surely go a long way to earning new fans, especially since being broadcast to a much wider audience on eTV.

Congratulations to Jeremy Smith on becoming the new EFC Africa Middleweight champion. I am really looking forward to watching Smith defend his EFC belt in the future.

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EFC Africa 12 fight bet

Watching a fight is exciting stuff, but watching a fight where you have a vested interest is just that much more intense. This vested interest can come in many shapes and forms, your favourite fighter may be fighting, you made have made bold statements about a fight, or you may have put down some money. 

In almost every EFC 12 bout I have a favoured fighter. Through this blog I am also certainly guilty of shooting my mouth off about the bouts and the fighters in general. So I thought it only fitting to complete the trio by putting some money down on the fights and make my Friday evening an MMA adrenaline overdose.

Using BetXchange, I have selected a few fights to bet on in a Multiple bet. These fights were picked  based on my confidence in my EFC 12 prediction coupled with the odds given by the betting site. There were also a couple of emotional picks based on the pure significance of the fight. My bet is that every one of the 6 fighters I have selected  will win and if by some miracle it comes off, I will probably retire. 

Main event: Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith

Predicted winner: Jeremy Smith

I had hoped for the betting odds to favour McLellan which would have made betting on the “upset” victory a sure thing with a contender like Jeremy Smith. The odds however favour Smith, and with what I believe will be a close fight and without the odds I require, it is not a smart move to bet on this fight. I however do not profess to be a smart man, and so I will be putting my money where my mouth is in the name of science.

Wesley Hawkey vs Denzil Wait

Predicted winner: Wesley Hawkey

I struggled to choose between these fighters, but I eventually sided with Hawkey. At 1/1 odds, he is almost neutral in the betting game, but to make up numbers (increasing the odds in my multiple bet) and have something extra to shout about in this epic battle, I felt it necessary to put some good old South African Rand behind my pick.

Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman

Predicted winner: Dino Bagattin

I think this fight may be closer than the odds suggest. Baggatin is a 6/10 favourite and this is once more not the cleverest bet on paper. Still, I believe Bagattin will be the superior striker, and will enjoy the comfort of fighting at his natural weight. I’m going to go with my gut on this one.

Donavin Hawkey vs Danie Van Heerden

Predicted winner: Donavin Hawkey

While both fighters comes from great boxing camps, I believe Donavin Hawkey to be the more complete Martial Artist. He is also the more experienced MMA fighter, and I feel he is a huge favourite in this bout. The odds suggest the same, so this is in no way an outside bet, but I am confident Hawkey will win this Middleweight fight.  

Paul Kietzmann vs Ricky Misholas

Predicted winner: Paul Kietzmann

Kietzmann is heavily favoured in this bout, and though the odds aren’t great, I strongly believe he will win this fight.

Francios Groenewald vs Dino Bertolis

Predicted winner: Dino Bertolis

This is the bet of all bets, the one that makes the most betting sense. Bertolis is listed as a 2/1 underdog. I had already predicted that Bertolis would win this fight, so to get such great odds on someone who you firmly believe will win is a delight. While I personally have gone with my heart on many of my multiple bet picks, this one is the only bet I would have made had it been a purely financial decision.

My EFC 12 bets
Fights bet on: 6

Multiple bet combined odds : 25/1

My bet has been successfully placed, this is a long shot, lets hold thumbs :)

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EFC 12 Weigh in results

Reality began to set in as the EFC Africa 12 fighter weigh-ins took place this afternoon at Carnival City in Johannesburg.... EFC 12 is here. 

The pre fight weigh ins are always a great time to vaguely access how a fighters training camp has gone, and if these assessments are even remotely accurate, EFC Africa 12 should be a spectacular event.  All of the fighters seem to be on weight for their fights tomorrow night and every contender came to the weigh ins in spectacular physical shape, the product of many months of hard physical work. This is great sign for EFC 12 and South African MMA in general, as it is a sign of increasing professional attitude towards the sport. 

The weigh-ins however were not without controversy as Garreth “Soliderboy” McLellan was forced to take off ever item of clothing to sneak below the 84kg mark. Not shy, the Fight Fit Militia fighter gladly obliged and successfully made his weight, much to the amusement of the EFC Africa Hexagon girls. 

Denzil Wait too missed his cut off of 66.5kg. Wait was given two hours to drop the necessary weight. Though no news has yet been released, I am confident that he should be able to achieve the weight cut required and the show will go on unhitched. 

Here are the official EFC 12 weigh in results:

EFC 12 Undercard fights

Fight 1: Dino Bertolis 66.2kg, Francois Groenewald 64.6kg

Fight 2: Gareth Buirski 66kg, Koba Iakobidze 65.8kg

Fight 3: Josh Muller 77.3kg, Wade Henderson 77.5kg

Fight 4: Markus Taljaard 69.4kg, Ryan van Niekerk 69.7kg

Fight 5: Boyd Allen 70kg, Donald Nzirawa 69.45kg

Fight 6: Ricky Misholas 102kg, Paul Kietzmann 97.3kg

Fight 7: JP Kruger 83.3kg, Pete Motaung 83.8kg

Fight 8: Danie van Heerden 83.8kg, Donavin Hawkey 84kg

EFC 12 Maincard fights

Fight 9: Raymond Ahana 91.4kg, Sean Robinson 93.4kg

Fight 10: Michiel Opperman 77.2kg, Dino Bagattin 77.5kg

Fight 11: Denzil Wait 66.9kg (500g over), Wesley Hawkey 66.4kg

Fight 12: Jeremy Smith 83.2kg, Garreth McLellan 83.9kg

EFC 12 Weigh-in Photo Gallery

The EFC has uploaded a Weigh in picture gallery to their facebook page. This gallery contains photos of each fighter as well as the stare downs. Click here to view pictures for the EFC 12 weigh in

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EFC 12 - Van Niekerk vs Taljaard

Prior to setting foot in the Hexagan at EFC 12, Ryan Van Niekerk's EFC Africa debut has been a tumultuous one.

Van Niekerk's original opponent Paul De Vos was forced to withdraw from their bout due to injury, but was quickly replaced by Nigerian fighter Steven Momah. Although this would no doubt have upset Van Niekerk's training camp, there was enough time for the lightweight to adjust and prepare for his new opponent.

Now, 2 days prior to EFC 12,Van Niekerk has been thrown another curve ball as his replacement opponent, Steven Momah has also withdrawn from their upcoming bout due to health concerns. The EFC once more have worked swiftly to find a replacement opponent, but this does not either fighter any real time to prepare... at least they are in the same boat.

Ryan Van Niekerk's new opponent, Markus Taljaard is a very dangerous fighter indeed. Taljaard is undefeated in his MMA career, sporting an amateur record of 9-0 and a professional record of 3-0.  Markus Taljaard also holds a notable win over fellow EFC 12 combatant Francois Groenewald.

On paper this is a fantastic bout between two of the best new lightweight prospects in the EFC. It is just a pity that the fighters have not had the appropriate camps to prepare for one another. Lets hope we will still see them at their best and get a fantastic fight as a result.

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EFC 12 - Robinson vs Ahana

Just days before EFC 12, an injury to Tumelo Maphuta has forced him out of his scheduled Light Heavyweight bout against Sean Robinson. This is the third main card fight which has been forced to change since the original slating of the event many months ago.

Sean Robinson will now rematch against Raymond Ahana, a man he defeated via unanimous decision almost 5 months ago. While this may be a little disheartening to fans, who were expecting a striking display when Robinson clashed with Maphuta, both fighters are positive about the fight. Ahana is looking for a chance to avenge his loss to Robinson, while Robinson himself is looking to improve on his previous performance and in doing so see how far his MMA game has progressed since his recent move to Gauteng.

Fortunately for the fans, we can be sure that having already fought each other in the last few months, both fighters should have an understanding of the others strengths and weaknesses, and possibly a game plan already prepared and drilled from the past. This could be just about the best fight to make on such short notice.

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EFC Africa 12 in the Media

With just 72 hours to go until EFC Africa 12, things are definitely heating up. Today the EFC announced a schedule of mainstream mass media appearances for the coming days, with the focus squarely on the headline fight between Garreth McLellan and Jeremy Smith. Be sure not to miss these publicity events to keep in the loop of what is happening in the fighters camps leading up to fight night.

EFC 12 TV Publicity Schedule 
eTV (e News channel 403)
28 February 2012 - 19:30
eTV will feature a segment on EFC AFRICA President Cairo Howarth and EFC 12 Middleweight challenger Jeremy Smith

Top Billing (SABC 3)
28 February 2012 - 20:00
South Africa's favourite magazine show will feature a segment on Garreth McLellan as he prepares to defend his EFC Africa Middleweight title.


eTV 
29 February 2012 - 07:00
Wake up to EFC AFRICA President Cairo Howarth and Garreth McLellan featured on eTV's sunrise at 7 program.

EFC 12 Radio Publicity Schedule
UJfm 95.4
28 February 2012 - 18:30
Middleweight champion Garreth "Soldierboy" McLellan and challenger Jeremy "Pitbull" Smith will both be featured on UJfm ahead of their EFC 12 clash.

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5 Reasons to watch EFC Africa 12 live

EFC 12 fight week has arrived!

With less than 5 days until the first EFC event of 2012, things are definitely beginning to heat up. Fighters and organisers alike will be in their final phases of preparation, while MMA fans are probably just beginning to plan out their Friday night. With so much choice afforded the fans these days, where to watch the fights is a huge consideration. Nu Metro cinemas, Pay per view online and the recent eTV deal go a long way to bringing the action to fans across the country and the globe, but there is still no substitute for watching the event live. If you are in Johannesburg, here are 5 reasons why you should be aiming to pick up one of the few tickets still available for EFC Africa 12 at Carnival City.

The EFC Atmosphere

Nothing quite compares to the atmosphere of a full stadium. The seats surround the Hexagon, which incessantly draws the attention of all present. The fixated fans seem to connect with each other and with their fighters, they feel their success and their failure, their joy and their pain. The night becomes a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from the anxious moments leading up to the fight to the jubilation or depression of the knockout blow. This usually translates into both deafening silence or outbursts, depending on the moment. MMA events are so spectacular because of this connection, this atmosphere and no TV camera can truly capture it.

Witness MMA History

We all want to be a part of something big, something that shapes the future and EFC Africa 12 affords us just that. As one of the most momentous MMA events in the short history of the sport in South Africa, EFC 12 is not only the first MMA event to be televised live in the country, but it also showcases arguably the most anticipated MMA fight to ever transpire on African soil when Garreth McLellan enters the Hexagon against Jeremy Smith to defend his EFC Africa Middleweight belt. Be there so that you can say you were.

Don’t miss a single punch

While technology is doing wonders for the sport of MMA, it has limitations. eTV is only providing the main card fights in its EFC 12 coverage, which means that diehard fans will need to look elsewhere should they wish to watch the rest of the talent packed fight card. Streaming too has its shortfalls and technical problems are not uncommon. Watching the event live guarantees that you will be able to catch all 12 fights, in perfect quality and in real time, leaving nothing to chance.

Watch EFC live while you still can

EFC Africa has already announced that EFC Africa 13 will be its first event in Cape Town. This will certainly be the first of many events which will be held in different cities across South Africa. In the past, Joburgers have been spoilt for choice where the EFC is concerned, and while the city of gold will undoubtedly remain the headquarters of the EFC, the number of events held in our lovely city will surely be diluted in the future. This will make it all the harder to get our require live MMA fix.

The lovely EFC Africa hexagon girls

EFC Africa Hexagon girls

See EFC Africa hexagon girls Victoria De Lima, Riana Roberts, Alyssa Rebelo, Eno Akpan and the twins Candace and Cindy Faul. EFC 12 also welcomes the newest EFC Africa hexagon girl Naomi Das to the fold.

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MMA South Africa Community update

As another week draws to an end, its time to recap on the effects the past few days have had on the South African MMA community. As always, if you know of any other interesting news or events, please let me know on my twitter account: MMA South Africa

South African MMA Annoucements
The Extreme Fighting Championship has released details of its upcoming event EFC Africa 13 to be held in Cape Town later this year. Though still largely unpopulated, the beginnings of a fight card have been released. The event will be headlined by a Welterweight title fight between Dallas Jakobi and Jadyson Costa. Here is a link for all articles pertaining to: EFC 13 Articles


South African MMA Articles
With EFC Africa 12 just around the corner, it is not surprising that the majority of the media attention is circling around the event. Here are a few local articles I found :

MMAWear interviews Wade Henderson
MMAWear talks to Wade "G.O.A.T" Henderson prior to his EFC 12 bout with Josh Muller. The interiew touches on the following points:

• Henderson's dislike for Muller
• Henderson's training camp for the fight
• Henderson's future in MMA

Click here for the full interview

MMAWear interviews Josh Muller
A recent interview conducted with Josh "The Jedi" Muller ahead of his EFC Africa 12 fight against Wade Henderson. The interview covers the following topics:

• Preparation for his upcoming fight
• The grudge between Muller and Henderson
• Muller's future plans in the sport 

Click here for the full interview

MMAWear interviews Richard Quan
Richard Quan is the head coach at Fight Fit Militia, one of South Africa's top fighting teams. The team is currently home to many EFC Africa champions, including featherweight champion Demarte Pena, lightweight champion Costa Ioannou and middleweight champion Garreth McLellan. Former heavyweight champion Normal Wessels and top ranked light heavyweight Chett Meyer bolster the already star studded list. In this interview Quan discusses:

• Quan's fighting and MMA background
• Quan's goals and aspirations in the sport of MMA and for FFM
• The mindset behind Fight Fight Militia

Click here for the full interview 
 


Fight Republic interviews Denzil Wait
An interview conducted with Denzil "Redstarr" Wait ahead of his EFC Africa 12 fight against Wesley Hawkey. The interview covers the following topics:

• Preparation for his upcoming fight
• The EFC featherweight division
• Wait's history in MMA and greatest influence
• MMA in South Africa

Click here for the full interview

South African MMA Events
Upcoming events largely focus around the first major event of the MMA year - EFC 12

Meet the EFC fighters
25 February, Nationwide
Some of the EFC professional fighters will be meeting the public and signing autographs at various Nu Metro cinemas around the country:
Hyde Park – Garreth McLellan, Demarte Pena, Costa Ioannou
The Glen – Jeremy Smith, Dino Bagattin, Wade Henderson
Canal Walk – Jadyson Costa, Paul Terblanche
Pavilion – Donavin and Wesley Hawkey
More info

EFC Africa 12 main event
2 March, Carnival City, Johannesburg
The event we have all been waiting for is now just a week away. Watch Garreth "Soldierboy" McLellan defend his middleweight title against Jeremy "Pitbull" Smith and 11 other professional Mixed Martial Arts fights.
More info: EFC 12 fight card, EFC 12 predictions

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EFC Africa 12 promo videos

The first major MMA event of the year is just a week away, and you can feel it. The hype surrounding EFC Africa 12 is starting to build with growing intensity. Television programmes are airing EFC inserts, radio stations are doing interviews with fighters and running EFC adverts, posters are visible on the roads, Twitter and Facebook are beginning to buzz... yes ladies and gentlemen, the countdown has begun.

EFC Africa has also released some new promotion material to whet the appetite even more. With anticipation building around what is being billed "The biggest fight ever to take place on the African continent", the latest release of a promo video featuring Middleweights Garreth "Soldierboy" McLellan and Jeremy "Pitbull" Smith, make the impending fight feel all the more real. I can't wait for Friday 2 March, and from what I have read on various social media, I am not alone.

EFC Africa 12 - McLellan vs Smith promo video

EFC Africa 12 - Hawkey vs Wait promo video

EFC Africa 12 - Robinson vs Maphutha promo video

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