EFC Africa - Fight Statistics

The Extreme Fighting Championship has done wonders for South African MMA. In a previous article, 5 most momentous EFC events, I summarised the history of the promotion and listed some of its groundbreaking achievements. This article however, is less about the events and more about that which makes the promotion’s events tick – the EFC fights. For the sake of posterity, I have delved a little deeper into this fight data and recorded my findings.

In just over 2 years, the EFC has successfully concluded 157 fights spanning 13 events and  7  weight divisions. Here is some of the information on EFC fights and fighters which has come to light in my initial analysis:

Most active EFC divisions

Each weight division offers something different for the fans and because of this, fight cards are generally divided up amongst the promotions key divisions. In the EFC’s history, here are the weight divisions which have had the majority of the limelight:

EFC Division	Fights
Welterweight	45
Middleweight	32
Lightweight	26
Heavyweight	19
Light Heavyweight	19
Featherweight	15
Super Heavyweight	1

Most common EFC fight results

An MMA bout can end in various ways. Some fights are ended by the fighters in the Hexagon, others are left up to the judges to decide. Here are the most common ways in which EFC fights end:

Fight result	Fights
TKO	63
Submission	62
Decision	17
KO	14
Disqualification	1

Most common EFC submissions

The sport of MMA offers fighters many different submission manoeuvres. Some are high percentage, others riskier. Here are the most commonly executed submissions in the Hexagon:

Submission	Fights
Rear-naked Choke	28
Guillotine Choke	10
Armbar	9
Triangle Choke	8
Keylock	2
Kimura	2
Heek Hook	1
Omoplata	1

Most common round for EFC fights to finish

Most EFC Africa fights are scheduled for a 3 rounds of five minutes. Title fights consist of 5 rounds of five minutes. Here are the most common rounds in which fights finish:

Round fight finished	Fights
Round 1	101
Round 2	25
Round 3	26
Round 4	3
Round 5	2

Fighters with the most EFC fights

Since the EFC’s maiden event in 2009, the EFC Hexagon has been graced by 127 fighters from across South Africa and the globe. Here are the faces we see most often in the cage:

EFC Fighter	Fights
Leo Gloss	9
Wade Henderson	9
Jacques Joubert	7
Dino Bagattin	7
Wentzel Nel	7
Nolan Swanepoel	7
Dallas Jakobi	6
Leon Mynhardt	6
Garreth McLellan	6
Adam Speechly	6
Norman Wessels	5
Alex Cheboub	5
Danie van Heerden	5
Raymond Ahana	5
Remo Ralph	5
Bernardo Mikixi	5
JP Joubert	5
Chett Meyer	5
Juan Lubbe	5
Francois Kabulu	5

Fighters with the most EFC wins

Every fighter who sets foot in the Hexagon does so with a similar goal – to win. Of the 75 fighters who have won fights in the EFC, here are the most successful EFC fighters in terms of wins inside the promotion:

EFC Fighter	Wins
Leo Gloss	6
Garreth McLellan	5
Wentzel Nel	5
Dino Bagattin	5
Norman Wessels	4
Jacques Joubert	4
Costa Ioannou	4
Chett Meyer	4
Ruan Potts	4
Wade Henderson	4
Dallas Jakobi	4
Nolan Swanepoel	4
Adam Speechly	4

Fighters with the most EFC losses

For every winner, there must be a loser and 94 fighters have lost fights within the promotion. Here are the fighters who have lost the most fights inside the EFC Hexagon:

EFC Fighter	Losses
Wade Henderson	5
Remo Ralph	4
Jacques Joubert	3
Francois Kabulu	3
Jean-Luc Kazadi	3
Ashley Calvert	3
Raymond Ahana	3
Ian Swart	3
Chad Hepburn	3
Jake Els	3
Leo Gloss	3
Mawande Vapi	3
Luis Mendes	3
Juan Lubbe	3
Gina Ifuki	3
Nolan Swanepoel	3
Leon Mynhardt	3

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MMA Featherweight Rankings - April 2012

EFC 13 was very quiet for the featherweight division, featuring only a single bout. The bout in question however had a big effect on the bottom of this list as Adbul Hassan managed to defeat Leo Gloss and effectively move himself up the rankings.

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. Abdul “Hollywood” Hassan (18-5)

Abdul Hassan (2-1 EFC) managed to neutralise Leo Gloss and earn himself a split decision victory at EFC 13. Hollywood was effective on the ground, especially in the first round when he landed some huge ground and pound punches. Having toppled the King and only lost to Denzil Wait in the EFC,  Hassan has earned himself a spot on this list.

5. Leo “King” Gloss (8-4)

Leo Gloss (6-3-1 EFC) has fought some tough competition in the EFC and the King has only lost to top 5 ranked men from two divisions. Gloss’ recent defeat to Abdul Hassan at EFC 13 has put the King in the unusual situation of having lost two straight fights. Gloss showed immense resolve and a granite chin to survive the first round against Hassan, but was not able to effectively deal with Hassan’s ground game. This is an area that Leo Gloss will need to work hard on if he wished to return to the top tier of the featherweight division.

View all: MMA Rankings

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Leo Gloss vs Abdul Hassan - EFC 13

With EFC 13 less than a month away, we can expect the fight announcements to start rolling in. 

Today the EFC announced a featherweight clash to strengthen the fight card and pit two of the most experienced featherweights in South Africa against one another. Former featherweight title contender King Leo Gloss (#4 featherweight rankings) will face Abdul "Hollywood" Hassan on 13 April.

Leo Gloss (8-3) has not fought since his loss to Demarte Pena in September last year. Gloss will certainly want to return to his winning ways and build his way up to another title shot. Originally known for his phenomenal boxing skills, Leo Gloss has shown an improved ground game every time he has entered the Hexagon, and as his ground game continues to evolve, Gloss will become a greater threat to the featherweight division.

Abdul Hassan (17-5) is one of the most experienced featherweights in South Africa, but he is still fairly new to the EFC. Carrying an EFC record of 1-1, Hollywood has yet to make his mark in the countries mainstream promotion. A win for Abdul Hassan versus Leo Gloss would certainly get him noticed and propel him up the featherweight rankings.

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Featherweight Rankings - March 2012

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

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South African MMA Featherweight rankings

A recent addition to the South African MMA roster, the featherweight division has grown in popularity, largely due to the nature of the fights, which are often technically brilliant. While most of these fighters have fought in other divisions, they have found a home in the featherweight division, where they now ply their fighting trade. Here are my top 5 South African featherweights:

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.

2. Wesley “The Young Assassin” Hawkey (6-2)

Wesley Hawkey is currently undefeated in the EFC, with a 2-0 record. The Young Assassin made short work of both Jean-Luc Kazadi and Victor Anyaogu en route to a number one contender matchup with Denzil Wait at EFC 12, the winner of which will almost certainly get a crack at Demarte Pena for the EFC featherweight title and #1 spot on this list.

3. Denzil “Redstarr” Wait (5-1)

Denzil Wait, already well respected in the MMA community, made quite a statement in his EFC debut in November last year when he steamrolled a very dangerous Abdul Hassan. Wait will now face off with Wesley Hawkey at EFC 12 to determine the number one contender in the featherweight division and hope to pave a path to a featherweight title shot.

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. In 2010, Gloss lost his lightweight title fight against Wentzel Nel (#4 SA MMA Lightweight Rankings) and in 2011 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, one to Demarte Pena in a close Majority decision loss at EFC 8 and the other against Wesley Hawkey in a first round submission at EFC Africa 10. 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.

To view rankings from all weight divisions visit my MMA South African Rankings page

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Gloss, Pena - a glimpse into the past

With EFC 10 looming and predictions on the featherweight title bout made, let’s take some time to appreciate the fighters doing what they do best. At EFC 08 Demarte Pena won a decision vs featherweight talent Jean-Luc Kazadi, while Gloss outpointed Charlie Weyer en route his title shot. EFC Africa have released both fights via there Youtube channel.

EFC 08 – Demarte Pena vs Jean-Luc Kazadi full fight video

EFC 09 – Leo Gloss vs Charlie Weyer full fight video

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Leo Gloss vs Demarte Pena fight preview EFC 10

With EFC 10 drawing ever closer, the questions pertaining to the headline fights and fighters begin to be raised with increasing frequency. Such is the atmosphere surrounding title fights... it is what makes the great. The very nature of a title fight is conducive to questions as they inevitably have two proven athletes who step into the cage with momentum stacked in their favour. This title fight is no different, as the fighters have lost but two fights in their combined professional MMA careers and collectively boast a 6 fight winning streak.

King Leo Gloss

To say Gloss in an experienced fighter is an extraordinary understatement. Not only has the King got a lifetime of amateur boxing behind his name, but has rattled up an impressive MMA record (8-2) since his debut in 2009. He has almost fought in almost every EFC Africa event and is a name synonymous with the production.

Leo Gloss’ boxing pedigree has made him a formidable foe in the hexagon whilst the fight remains standing, but a big question mark has loomed over the Edenvale native when taken to the ground. His hard work in this discipline became evident in his latest battle with Charlie Weyer, where, not only did Gloss look solid defensively, he also landed shots from the bottom characteristic of a fighter confident on his back. Gloss has shown a remarkable grasp for the sport and continues to improve with each appearance inside the cage.

Demarte Pena

A relative newcomer to the world of professional MMA, at 21 years of age and with but two professional fights under his belt, Demarte Pena brings an element of the unknown to September’s title fight. Pena’s last fight against Jean-Luc Kazadi elevated his status in the division, as he outpointed the highly regarded featherweight and proved comfortable both on his feet and on the ground.

Prediction

Both fighters have a solid skill set and fantastic conditioning. This fight has all the makings of a long, gruelling war. I believe the fight will come down to who handles the pressure better on the night. History has shown that experience counts when it comes to big fights and I must put my check-mark next to the veteran King Leo Gloss to take the victory via TKO in the fourth.

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EFC Africa 10 live at Carnival city on 1 September

Africa’s Extreme Fighting Championship has announced the date and venue for its latest cage fighting event. The date is set for 1 September 2011 and no surprises that the venue is once again Carnival city in Brakpan, South Africa. 

The EFC matchmakers have once again turned to some of their biggest names to provide the audience with their quota of violent entertainment. The event will feature 13 professional MMA fights, two of which will be EFC title fights. 

The vacant featherweight title is on the line for the victor of the King Leo Gloss (8-2) and Demarte “The Wolf” Pena (2-0). Gloss, a former professional boxer, has fought in the EFC since its inception and has won 4 out of his last 5 appearances inside the hexagon (his fight vs Ian Swart in December last year being declared a No Contest). Pena, who is still relatively new to professional MMa, is undefeated and on a 2 fight winning streak, including an impressive win over future prospect Jean-Luc Kazadi. 

Adam “The Prodigy” Speechly (12-2) will defend his EFC Welterweight crown against hungry challenger Dallas Jakobi (11-4). Jakobi having been submitted via first round triangle choke in their first encounter in 2009, will be looking to avenge this loss. He has put together an impressive run of 3 consecutive wins since his loss to Darren Daniel in August 2010. Speechly, who has not lost to a South African opponent in years, will look to be the first EFC champion to successfully defend his belt and stake his claim as one of South Africa’s finest.

Full fight card for ECC 10:

Adam Speechly vs Dallas Jakobi (EFC Welterweight title bout)

Leo Gloss vs Demarte Pena (EFC Featherweight title bout)

Nolan Swanepoel vs Leon Mynhardt

Dino Bagattin vs Martin Van Staden

JP Joubert vs Jeremy Scheepers

Paul Terblanch vs Tyron Rightford

Wade Henderson vs Jadyson Costa

Jacques Joubert vs Mwande Vapi

Armand de Bruyn vs Keith Theologo

Jean-Luc Kazadi vs Wesley Hawkey

Michiel Opperman vs Daniel Sinclair

Ryan de Vasconcellos vs Tumelo Maputha

Francois Groenewald vs Abdul Hassan

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