MFC at Durban Ice Rink 10 June

Megladon Fight Club (MFC) is hosting a pro and amateur MMA fight night at the Durban Ice Rink this Sunday  10 June 2012.

MFC information

Date: 10 June 2012

Time: 18:00

Venue: Durban Ice Rink 

MFC fight card

The MFC fight night will host 15 MMA fights, both professional and amateur including the following headline fights:

Moodley vs Pretorius

Ninow vs Msane

MFC ticket information

Tickets are R100 and will be on sale at the door.

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MMA All Stars - amateur MMA event on 9 June

Godfather productions and Quantum Tribe will host MMA All Stars, an amateur MMA event on Saturday 9 June 2012. The event will play host to a number of amateur MMA fights, including a couple of title fights.

MMA All Stars information

Date: 9 June 2012

Time: Doors open at 18:00, Fights start at 19:00

Venue: Luso Africa Sports Club, 15 Walnut road, Primrose, Johannesburg

MMA All Stars fight card

Duho Kim vs Mbabelo Swekile

Jason Le Roux and Craig Le Roux will both be fighting

Other fights TBA

MMA All Stars tickets

Tickets for the event will be R120.00

For more information on MMA All Stars, call 082 852 7974

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5 fights to make after EFC 14

With EFC 14 behind us, it’s time to once more take stock and look toward the future. Here are 5 fights that I think the EFC should consider making in the near future.

5 fights to make after EFC 14

Jeremy Smith vs Garreth McLellan

Although I have never been an avid supporter of a quick rematch between Garreth McLellan and Jeremy Smith, it seems that this fight has to happen. Garreth McLellan looked focussed at EFC 14 where he defeated Danie van Heerden in what was touted to be a number on contender bout. With the major players in the middleweight division already matched up, Jeremy Smith vs Garreth McLellan 2 now seems inevitable.

Ruan Potts vs Bernardo Mikixi

Bernardo Mikixi defeated Mahmoud Hassan at EFC 14 to take his current win streak to two. Given the state of the heavyweight division, this is enough to warrant a title shot against heavyweight champion Ruan Potts.

Demarte Pena vs Wentzel Nel

Wentzel Nel looked strong at featherweight as he defeated Denzil Wait via second round TKO. With three straight EFC wins, including one against a top 5 featherweight, Wentzel Nel has surely earned himself a shot at Demarte Pena and the featherweight title.

Wesley Hawkey vs Abdul Hassan

Wesley Hawkey showed that he is one of the best featherweights in South Africa at EFC 14. The Durban based fighter will want to get into the Hexagon as quickly as possible and work his way back up to a shot at the title. After his win against Leo Gloss at EFC 13, Abdul Hassan finds himself on a similar path and a fight between the two now many perfect sense.

Adam Speechly vs Alex Cheboub

Both Adam Speechly and Alex Cheboub have suffered recent losses to Costa Ioannou and will want to work their way back to the top of the division. The two master grapplers will be a great test for each other and hopefully put on a great fight for the fans.

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EFC 14 fighter analysis

EFC Africa 14 was a great MMA event! Many fighters gave it their all and this showed in the Hexagon. Though the EFC 14 results are in, they do not always convey the spirit in which the fight was fought. Here is my list of fighters who impressed me at EFC 14

EFC 14 fighter analysis

Markus Taljaard

Markus Taljaard looked calm and collected in his fight against Wade Groth. Though put on his back early, Taljaard was able to work well from his guard and limit the damage take from a very aggressive Groth. In the third round, Markus Taljaard’s composure paid off as he was able to slap on a beautiful triangle choke and earn himself the win. Markus Taljaard earned my surprise fighter of the night award.

Wade Groth

Though Wade Groth lost to Markus Taljaard in their EFC 14 bout, the result doesn’t tell the full story. Groth looked explosive as he was able to take Taljaard down multiple times and land some effective ground and pound. Both fighters looked good on the ground and at the time of Taljaard submitting him, Groth was very likely ahead on points.

David Buirski

In a fight that never really got going, Buirski showed patience as he kept his distance from Mwale and landed effective leg kicks almost at will. A well timed head kick ended the fight in the first frame. David Buirski earned my knock-out of the night award.

JP Kruger

Kruger looked clinical as he quickly dispatched of Mawande Vapi, whom he outclassed on the ground.

Wentzel Nel

Wentzel Nel vs Denzil Wait was a definite contender for fight of the night. The two featherweights showed off impressive ground skills in a hard fought tussle. Nel showed great awareness and composure coupled with great technical skill to avoid being finished on the ground and eventually earned himself a dominant position and the TKO win.

Denzil Wait

Denzil Wait looked a different fighter from the man who stepped into the Hexagon at EFC Africa 12. The second half of a great technical ground battle with Wentzel Nel, Wait had the former lightweight champion in precarious positions a number of times, but was unable to get the finish.

Garreth McLellan

Ever the professional, Garreth McLellan left nothing to chance as he defeated a very dangerous Danie van Heerden in a clinical MMA display. McLellan got the fight to the ground and worked hard for his submission win, a win that will likely see him enter the Hexagon opposite Jeremy Smith once more. Garreth McLellan earned my fighter of the night award.

Bernardo Mikixi

Bernardo Mikixi weathered a heavy storm from Mahmoud Hassan before flooring his opponent and finishing him with brutal strikes. Mikixi showed he can take a punch and give as good as he gets.

Demarte Pena

In another contender for fight of the night, Demarte Pena showed the temperament of a champion as he managed to keep cool under Wesley Hawkey’s fire in their featherweight title fight. Pena, was able to turn the tides on the challenger and earn himself a submission victory late in the fourth. Humble in victory, Pena proved he is the real deal at featherweight. Demarte Pena earned my submission of the night award.

Wesley Hawkey

Wesley Hawkey was punished for a single mistake in what was a near perfectly executed game plan. Hawkey, looked comfortable standing and on the ground, landing the more effective shots. At the time of his submission, I had Wesley Hawkey well ahead on points.

Adam Speechly

Unsurprisingly, Adam Speechly showed the heart of a champion as he fought back from the brink of defeat to put Costa Ioannou under real pressure. Speechly looked more comfortable at lightweight and I hope this drop in weight is a permanent one.

Costa Ioannou

Though I was initially disappointed with Costa Ioannou for gassing so early and almost throwing away a fight he had all but in the books, I could not but be impressed with his ability to push through his fatigue and win rounds against a very game Adam Speechly. Costa Ioannou has always had the skill set, but tonight he proved he has the heart of a champion as well. Costa Ioannou vs Adam Speechly earned my fight of the night award.

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EFC 14 in retrospect

The Extreme Fighting Championship returned to Johannesburg with a stacked fight card featuring 5 current or former champions. The high profile event featured 2 title fights and managed to live up to all the hype.

My EFC 14 predictions

My predictions were pretty useless this EFC. There were many close fights, which could have gone either way and in most cases went the other way. Of those I did get correct in terms of winner, I was largely out in terms of manner, though I take comfort in getting the middleweight clash between Garreth McLellan and Danie van Heerden pretty much spot on. It seems even a blind squirrel finds the occasional nut.

Correct predictions: 6/13

Correct title fight predictions: 1/2

My EFC 14 fight of the night

The EFC 14 fight of the night has to go to Costa Ioannou and Adam Speechly for their 5 round lightweight title war. The technical grappling match was insane to watch and both fighters showed why they are so well respected in this discipline. Add to this the humility and respect with which both fighters approached this fight and it is a deserved winner.

My EFC 14 submission of the night

Demarte Pena’s rear-naked choke against Wesley Hawkey in their featherweight title fight is my submission of the night. Given the gravity of the situation, Pena’s ability to quickly and effortlessly transition to back mount and sink in a title winning submission was beautiful to watch.

My EFC 14 knockout of the night

Knock-outs were in short supply at EFC 14. David Buirski’s head kick on Kelvin Mwale was about as close to a clean KO as we got. The kick, which sent Mwale to the canvas was followed up with punches to earn a TKO victory.

My EFC 14 fighter of the night

Garreth McLellan was the most impressive fighter for me at EFC 14. The former middleweight champion looked focussed from the get go in his clash with Danie van Heerden and finished the fight in a very clinical manner to earn himself another shot at Jeremy Smith.

My EFC 14 surprise fighter of the night

Markus Taljaard was my surprise fighter of the night. Having seen him trade strikes with Ryan van Niekerk at EFC 12, Taljaard surprised  and impressed me with his ground game at EFC 14. Taljaard had a very active guard, but it was his composure while on his back which ultimately earned him his submission victory over Wade Groth.

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Costa Ioannou defeats Adam Speechly at EFC 14 to retain lightweight title

Tonight Costa Ioannou became the first fighter in EFC history to defend his EFC title twice when he defeated Adam Speechly via unanimous decision at EFC Africa 14. Ioannou, a huge favourite, was put to the test by a determined Speechly and was forced to dig deep to grind out the win and retain his lightweight title. A great main event, Costa Ioannou and Adam Speechly showed what MMA is all about.

Costa Ioannou vs Adam Speechly EFC 14 fight breakdown

Costa Ioannou took control of the fight early, taking the fight to the ground and maintaining a dominant position for the better part of the first two rounds. Ioannou was able to land some vicious ground and pound and attempt near submissions, looking every bit the dominant champion we are used to. Though Speechly worked hard off his back, the grappling wunderkind couldn't seem to find an answer.

As round two drew to a close, Ioannou looked worn out. Speechly took this opportunity and pressed the action in round three, taking the top position and landing some shots of his own. The fight had taken a huge turn and Ioannou looked in real trouble for the first time in his professional career.

Costa Ioannou bounced back in round four, and though he looked gassed for the remainder of the fight, was still able to land effective take downs, control the fight and nearly land a fight finishing rear-naked choke. Speechly for his part was competitive in the latter rounds, but never looked as threatening as he had in the third.

The fight went the distance and Costa Ioannou was awarded a well deserved unanimous decision victory to retain his EFC Africa lightweight title.

Full EFC 14 fight results

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Demarte Pena retains his EFC Africa featherweight title at EFC 14

Demarte Pena showed great composure and awareness in his EFC Africa 14 featherweight title defence against  Wesley Hawkey. Though behind on points on my scorecard, Pena managed to sink a late fourth round rear-naked choke to force a tap from Hawkey and maintain his EFC title. A relieved young champion was humble in victory and thanked Wesley Hawkey for such a great fight.

Demarte Pena vs Wesley Hawkey fight breakdown

Wesley Hawkey was not as nearly as aggressive as many had expected him to be, and this lead to a much more methodical and calculated battle. Though Pena landed some effective leg kicks and take downs in the early rounds, Hawkey was more effective on the ground landing some nice ground and pound from the top and attempting submissions from the bottom. Nothing fight changing was landed early on and both fighters looked fresh in the latter rounds.

Rounds three and four saw Hawkey begin to open up a little more with his hands as Pena's leg kicks slowed down. Hawkey still remained cautious though, in all likelihood trying to nullify Pena's dangerous double leg take down.

A late flurry from Hawkey in the fourth round saw Demarte Pena back up and look in trouble. As Hawkey pressed forward, Pena was able to land another take down. A ground battle ensued and Pena eventually managed to get top position. With less than 20 seconds on the clock, Hawkey made a costly mistake as he tried to escape from the bottom position. Demarte Pena was quick to latch onto this opportunity and rolled with Hawkey, got his hooks in and sunk in a deep rear-naked choke. Wesley Hawkey would be forced to tap with less than 5 seconds on the clock in the fourth round.

Demarte Pena, now 4-0, became the first EFC Africa featherweight champion to defend his belt.

Full EFC fight results

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EFC Africa 14 - Blow by Blow

Costa Ioannou vs Adam Speechly (Lightweight title fight)

Full article: Costa Ioannou is still the EFC lightweight champion

Demarte Pena vs Wesley Hawkey (Featherweight title fight)

Full article: Demarte Pena is still the EFC featherweight champion

Bernardo Mikixi vs Mahmoud Hassan (Heavyweight fight)

A typical heavyweight fight, both men came in hard. Mikixi managed to injure Hassan with a big shot and finish him on the ground in the first few minutes.

Garreth McLellan vs Danie van Heerden (Middleweight fight)

Both fighters went to work early, and after a head kick by Garreth McLellan and an attempted standing guillotine by Danie Van Heerden, the fight went to the ground. McLellan looked comfortable on the ground but was forced to work hard to achieve anything. 

Round two went to the ground early and McLellan took control of the fight, secured back mount and managed to sink in a rear-naked choke to claim the win and likely title rematch with against Jeremy Smith.

Wentzel Nel vs Denzil Wait (Featherweight fight)

Great technical battle between Wentzel Nel and Denzil Wait. The majority of the fight was spent on the mat where both fighters had their fair share of the dominant position. Both fighters almost finished the fight in the first frame, but it was Wentzel Nel who managed to come out stronger in the second round. After a period of reversals on the ground, Nel managed to secure a dominant position and rain down some elbows to win the fight via TKO.

Francois Kabulu vs Amr Wahman (Welterweight fight)

Francois Kabulu controlled the fight on the ground for the better part of the first two rounds, but was unable to submit Wahman despite a few close attempts. Both fighters looked gassed in the third round, a round in which Amr Wahman landed more shots. Francois Kabulu was eventually awarded a unanimous decision victory.

Terrence Griessel vs Gareth Buirski (Featherweight fight)

A great fight back and forward fight between two strong athletes. There were times when both fighters almost finished the fight, but it was eventually Terence Griessel who landed a third round guillotine choke to win via submission.

JP Kruger vs Mwande Vapi (Middleweight fight)

JP Kruger took the fight to the ground early and transitioned quickly to Vapi's back. From there it was only a matter of time before Kruger submitted him via rear naked choke.

Alex Cheboub vs Ashley Calvert (Lightweight fight)

Alex Cheboub looked like he had nothing to lose as he fired off a wide variety of strikes in the stand-up. On the ground, Calvert attempted a few submissions before Cheboub took control of the fight, eventually securing a crucifix position and submitting Calvert via a rather painful looking second round Keylock submission.

David Buirski vs Kelvin Mwale (Welterweight fight)

David Buirksi circled nicely and landed effective leg kicks throughout the first round. A surprise head kick landed and dropped Mwale late in the first to earn Buirski his first EFC win.

Koba Iakobidze vs Alain Ilunga (Featherweight fight)

Ilunga and Iakobidze fought hard standing and on the ground. The fight seemed fairly even early on but Ilunga seemed to get the better of the exchanges as the fight progressed and eventually managed to drop Iakobidze with body kick in the third to win via verbal submission.

Wade Groth vs Markus Taljaard (Lightweight fight)

Taljaard got the better of the early stand-up exchanges, rocking Groth with a beautiful right hand. This forced Groth to take the fight to the ground where he was dominant, landing big shots in a very active Taljaard guard. Both fighters looked very impressive. 

Round 2 saw Taljaard land some more nice shots standing, before the fight once more went to the mat. Taljaard managed to get full mount before Groth reversed the position and managed to stay on top for the better part of the round.

Round 3 saw both fighters come out striking before Groth performed a beautiful judo throw to take Taljaard to the ground. After some great ground and pound again by Groth, Markus Taljaard managed to slap on a beautiful triangle choke to win via third round submission.

Tshikangu Makeubo vs James Le Roux (Middleweight fight)

As expected, Tez Makeubo looked to strike, while James Le Roux wanted to get the fight to the ground and look for a submission. The first round saw a mixed bag, with Makeubo landing a few big shots and Le Roux attempting some very close submissions. The second and third rounds were rather uneventful, with both fighters looking gassed. In the end Makuebo appeared to press the action and did enough to earn a unanimous decision victory.

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