African Top Team Highlights Video

Just a few weeks before EFC 13, where two of their fighters will be fighting, one of South Africa's rising MMA teams, African Top Team has released a new MMA highlights video. African Top Team, based in Cape Town, was formed late last year and has already made a name for themselves in the MMA world. The video documents some of their top stars in Kickboxing and MMA fights, and unsurprisingly showcases some brutal finishes.

MMA Fighters featured in this video

Ruan Potts - EFC Heavyweight champion. Potts is undefeated in his MMA career in fourteen fights.

Jadyson Costa -  EFC Welterweight title challenger. Costa is undefeated in the EFC in two fights.

Don Madge - EFC Lightweight fighter. Madge is undefeated in the EFC in one fight.

Paul Terblanche - EFC Middleweight fighter.

African Top Team Highlights Video

African Top Team at EFC 13

Jadyson Costa vs Dallas Jakobi - EFC Africa Welterweight Title Fight

Don Madge vs Leon Mynhardt - Lightweight fight

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Don Madge vs Wade Groth EFC 11 Fight Video

Don Madge is slated to fight against Leon Mynhardt in a dream lightweight match-up at EFC 13. The fight will likely have its fair share of trading, as both fighters are decorated strikers. In the lead-up to this potential fight of the night, I have taken the liberty of looking through the archives to find some footage of both fighters in action. First up, Don Madge in his EFC Africa debut against Wade Groth. The video is of poor quality, but not much is lost as a result.

Don Madge vs Wade Groth EFC Africa 11

Don Madge vs Leon Mynhardt fight preview

This is a very difficult fight to predict between two great athletes. I put my thoughts on the fight down in my article Don Madge vs Leon Mynhardt EFC 13 fight preview.

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Leon Mynhardt EFC 09 Knockout of the night

Leon Mynhardt vs Francois Kabulu at EFC Africa 09 was a welterweight war.

After some fairly even exchanges in the first half of the fight, Mynhardt managed to find his range and pick apart a weary Kabulu. Francois Kabulu showed great resolve in standing, but was not in the fight for the latter parts and it was only a matter of time before Leon Mynhardt landed a finishing blow. The end finally came in the third round, when Mynhardt floored Kabulu to win via KO and receive the Knockout of the night.

Leon Mynhardt vs Francois Kabulu EFC 09 Knockout of the night

Leon Mynhardt will drop to lightweight and face Don Madge at EFC 13 in Cape Town. Read my EFC 13 fight preview article on Leon Mynhardt vs Don Madge.

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Cape Fight League announces CFL 2

The Cape Fight League has announced details for their second MMA event in Cape Town.  The promotions second event will attempt to build on the success of the first event, CFL 01, while correcting some of the shortfalls identified.

Today, the Cape Fight League announced two of the main fights for their CFL 2 event. Chris du Pont from Tiger Kai will face Craig Fourie from Lions Den in a heavyweight clash, and Nathan Raaths from Men of War will fight Warren Allison of Industrial fight club in a middleweight bout. Details have yet to be released about the other 14 fights.

CFL 2 will take place at Ratanga Junction and the organisers have already promised a new Master of Ceremonies and better seating arrangements, two of the biggest issues with CFL 01. The event also promises to provide top class entertainment, MMA stalls and gear, food and beverages on sale and of course the CFL Ring Girls will be in attendance. All in all CFL 2 looks to be a much grander event than CFL 01, which is great for South African MMA.

Confirmed CFL 2 Fight Card

Chris Du Pont vs Craig Fourie (Heavyweight)

Nathan "The Cookie Monster" Raaths vs Warren Alison (Middleweight)

CFL 2 Event Information

Date: Saturday, 12 May 2012

Time: 18:30 - 23:30

Venue: Ratanga Junction, Cape Town

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Rise of the Warrior XII - 7 April 2012 in Empangeni

Shido promotions has announced the details for their next MMA event - Rise of the Warrior XII. The event will feature 12 MMA fights, both professional and amateur, and take place at the Umfolozi Casino in Empangeni on 7 April 2012.

Rise of the Warrior XII information

Date: 7 April 2012

Doors open: 18:00

Event starts: 19:00

Venue: Umfolozi Casino, Empangeni

ROW XII Ticket information

Unreserved: R100.00 pp

VIP Reserved: R150.00 pp

For more information, visit http://www.shido.co.za/ROW_XII.html

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David Buirski vs Sydney Mokgolo - Rise of the Warrior XI

Shido's latest MMA event, Rise of the Warrior XI, took place at the Graceland Casino in Secunda last weekend. The fight card featured a mix of both amateur and professional MMA bouts. One of the big fights of the evening was a professional Middleweight MMA fight between undefeated prospect David Buirski and Sydney Mokgolo.

David Buirski vs Sydney Mokgolo ROW XI Fight Video

What next for David Buirski

There has been much talk about David Buirski fighting in the EFC. David, one of the infamous Buirski brothers, will look to follow in the footsteps of his brother Gareth Buirski who made his EFC debut at EFC Africa 12. 

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Bernardo Mikixi vs Calven Robinson EFC 13 Video

Bernardo Mikixi and Calven Robinson are two of the biggest athletes in South African MMA. Both fighters possess knockout power and will be bringing it to the Hexagon at EFC 13 on 13 April 2012.

Here is the latest promo video released by the EFC for the titanic clash between Mikixi and Robinson.

Bernardo Mikixi vs Calven Robinson EFC 13 promo video

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What has Ruan Potts been up to?

The EFC has released a short video interview with reigning heavyweight champion Ruan Potts. In the video, Potts discusses his current training regime and his views on the EFC's upcoming event in Cape Town - EFC Africa 13.

Potts will be taking a keen interest in EFC 13, as there are three heavyweight bouts slated for the event and one of the participating fighters could very well end up being the next heavyweight contender for Ruan Potts' throne.

Click here to view Potts' interview: Ruan Potts Interview

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Dallas Jakobi vs Martin Van Staden

EFC 13 has set the stage for some amazing future Welterweight clashes. As it is, the event will play host to some huge fights, including a Welterweight title fight between reigning champion Dallas Jakobi and Jadyson Costa, and a number one contender bout between Martin van Staden and Michiel Opperman. In fact, 4 out of my Top 5 Welterweights in SA will be fighting at EFC 13.

The results of these fights will determine the next match-ups in the Welterweight division. One possibility is a bout between Dallas Jakobi and Martin van Staden, a rematch of their 2009 clash in which Van Staden defeated Jakobi via TKO.

Dallas Jakobi vs Martin van Staden 1 took place an age ago in the rapidly evolving South African MMA community, under very different conditions and between two very different fighters. I happened to stumble upon the fight on Youtube.

Dallas Jakobi vs Martin van Staden Fight Video

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Lenin Rajgopaul Chokes & Cranks Seminar - 1 April 2012

This Sunday, Lenin Rajgopaul will be hosting a No-Gi seminar focusing on chokes and cranks. The seminar will be open to the public.

Cranks & Chokes Seminar details

Date: 1 April 2012

Time: 10am - 1pm

Venue: World of Warriors, 1st floor, Orion Building, Cnr Boeing and 1st Avenue, Elma Park

Cost: R250.00 per person

About Lenin Rajgopaul

Lenin Rajgopaul is a former Africa cup gold medalist and BJJ / MMA instructor. Rajgopaul has 12 years of BJJ experience and currently represents both Novagen Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu club in Durban and Tapout in Johannesburg. Lenin Rajgopaul teaches regular seminars at WOW in Edenvale.

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Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen 2 at UFC 147

It has been confirmed, UFC Middleweight champion and pound for pound great Anderson Silva will face his nemisis Chael Sonnen at UFC 147 in Brazil. The two fighters last faced each other at UFC 117 in a bout which was controlled by Sonnen for over 23 minutes, only to see Anderson Silva snatch victory with a late triangle choke. The world has waited patiently for a rematch, and that patience it seems has paid off.

UFC 147 is reported to be the biggest MMA event in the history of the sport and will take place at the Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on June 23, 2012. Initial estimates believe that the stadium break the previous attendance record of 55,000 held by the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The event will also see a clash between The Ultimate Fighter Brazil coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva in a rematch of their 1998 fight. Vitor Belfort won their first encounter via TKO in just 44 seconds.

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Dino Bagattin vs Francois Kabulu EFC 13 fight preview

Dino Bagattin vs Francois Kabulu at EFC Africa 13 promises to be a violent affair. Both fighters have vicious stand-up skills and both men have a point to prove... the perfect recipe for an entertaining welterweight fight.

Dino “The Lion” Bagattin (8-2)

At EFC 12, Dino Bagattin suffered a major setback in his pursuit of the EFC Welterweight title when he lost to Michiel Opperman. Bagattin, who looked fluid and accurate trading on the feet, was submitted by Opperman in the second frame. The Loss was Bagattin’s first in two years. Undeterred however, the Lion will jump straight back into the Hexagon at EFC 13 and look to start his climb to the top once more.

Francois “The Frenchman” Kabulu (5-2)

Francois Kabulu has had a mixed bag of results in the EFC. The Frenchman holds wins over Ashley Calvert and Josh Muller, but has lost his last two bouts to Leon Mynhardt and Martin van Staden. Kabulu has shown impressive heart and an impressive chin to go with his solid stand-up skills.

Fighter Comparison

Both fighters are stand-up specialists with knock out power and a willingness to trade punches. Bagattin has the better pedigree and judging from their last few fights, should have the advantage standing.

Neither fighter has shown an affinity for the ground, and this is likely a domain which will be utilised scarcely in this MMA bout.

Being the older and more experienced fighter, Bagattin should have a slight mental edge in this fight. Kabulu does have the Cape Town home ground advantage and an iron will which may help to level the playing field.

Dino Bagattin vs Francois Kabulu Prediction

There is no doubt in my mind that this fight will take place predominantly on the feet. Francois Kabulu will likely push forward and throw his trademark bombs, while Bagattin will look to find his range and counter his somewhat wilder opponent. Such a bout could end with a single punch, but I believe Bagattin will keep his composure, use good movement and pick his shots to simply outbox Kabulu. After landing several shots throughout the fight, I believe Dino Bagattin with floor Kabulu in the second round to earn a TKO victory.

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Jadyson Costa - EFC 10 Submission of the night

Jadyson Costa made an impressive EFC Africa debut against veteran Wade Henderson.

After a brief exchange on the feet, Costa shot for a single and scored a taken down. Henderson quickly reversed the position and ended up in Jadyson's full guard. Costa attempted various submissions unsuccessfully before landing a Kimura which forced Henderson to tap with 1:44 left in the first round.

Jadyson Costa vs Wade Henderson EFC 10 Submission of the night

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Jadyson Costa EFC 11 Submission of the night

Jadyson Costa earned his second submission of the night award at EFC Africa 11 against James Rennie.

The fight spent all of 12 seconds on the feet, before a missed head kick by Costa resorted in a take down for Rennie. Jadyson Costa lost no time in getting to work off his back and managed to sweep Rennie and take command. From there it was downhill for Rennie as Costa worked his positions nicely and landed some big shots before sinking in a deep rear naked choke to end the fight via submission.

Jadyson Costa vs James Rennie EFC 11 Submission of the night

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Jadyson Costa MMA Highlights Video

After two fights and just over 5 minutes in the EFC Hexagon, Jadyson Costa is set to challenge Dallas Jakobi for the EFC Welterweight title. In his brief time on the South African MMA stage, Costa has shown his high BJJ pedigree by submitting both of his opponents. But what of the rest of his game?

Jadyson Costa was named "Little Wanderlei" because his fighting style resembled that of Wanderlei Silva. This is certainly not a side of Costa we have seen in the EFC Hexagon. In a bid to become further acquainted with the EFC Africa welterweight challenger, I took to Youtube and found this highlight video of Jadyson Costa's MMA career. After watching Little Wanderlei in action, I can attest that the rumours are true... he really does fight like Silva.

The video itself is not the greatest quality and is a bit repetitive at times, but it did give me a far better understanding of who will step into the cage at EFC 13 on April 13 in Cape Town.

Jadyson Costa Fight Highlight Video

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Jadyson "Little Wanderlei" Costa - Fighter Profile

Jadyson “Little Wanderlei” Costa began his martial arts career with Karate, Boxing and Muay Thai... MMA was the natural progression. Costa was dubbed “Little Wanderlei” because his fighting style resembled that of Wanderlei Silva.

Jadyson Costa describes his first MMA fights as “street” fights, with no rules and no gloves. Costa soon progressed to the big stage and has fought in organisations across the globe, including the legendary Japanese promotion – Pride. Costa has also trained with some of the biggest names in MMA, including Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Shogun Rua.

After a series of losses, Jadyson Costa moved to South Africa to fight and teach. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt soon found a home in the EFC and showcased his incredible grappling skills to win his first two fights via submission. This earned Little Wanderlei a welterweight title shot against Dallas Jakobi at EFC 13.

Jadyson Costa stats

Nickname: Little Wanderlei
Age: 31
Height: 5’9” (175cm)
Weight: 78 Kg
Weight division: Welterweight
Stance: Orthadox
Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa
Fight team: African Top Team
Twitter profile: N/A

Jadyson Costa fight stats

EFC Stats – 2 wins, 0 losses
All time stats – 12 wins, 12 losses

Jadyson Costa EFC fights

Opponent	Result	Method	Event
James Rennie	Win	Submission (Rear-naked Choke)	EFC Africa 11
Wade Henderson	Win	Submission (Kimura)	EFC Africa 10

Jadyson Costa Fighting Achievements

Fought in Pride in Japan

Jadyson Costa Ranks Achieved

Jadyson Costa has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Jadyson Costa Articles 

Click here to view all articles on Jadyson Costa on MMA South Africa: Jadyson Costa

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Nelspruit Fight Night: NFN 5 - Pride

The Mpumalanga Fight League has announced details for its latest MMA event, Nelspruit Fight Night 5.

Nelspruit Fight Night 5 - Event information

Date: Friday, 30 March 2012
Time: 6pm - Fighter stare-downs, 7pm fights begin
Venue: Old Wetherlys Building, Riverside Lifestyle Centre, Nelspruit

Where to buy tickets for Nelspruit Fight Night 5

Tickets for NFN5 can be bought from:

• Knifestyle - Ilanda Mall
• Trinity MMA Nelspruit - Copperleaf, White River

NFN 5 Ticket prices

Spectator tickets - R100pp

VIP Tables - R150pp. Tables include finger foods and waiters.

Other NFN5 information

Nelspruit Fight Night will also provide:

• Cash bars
• Food stands
• After party at the event
• Secure parking

Contact Nelspruit Fight Night

For more information about NFN5, contact:

• Bertus - 072 363 6244
• Craig - 082 459 5898

For VIP tickets, contact:

• Liz - 076 215 2978

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El Grande - Ultimate Power Challenge March 2012

Fighting Fit Kensington

Every Sunday, the fields opposite the 46 Brigade Army Base in Kensington, Johannesburg are transformed into a community fitness boot camp. Hosted by 46 KSCA (Kensington Spots Club and Academy), Fighting Fit Kensington is a complete workout divided into fifteen 1 minute exercises. The community workout takes place every Sunday from 10-11am and is free to the public. This is a great initiative for the Kensington community, both physically and socially.

El Grande – Ultimate Power Challenge

The El Grande Tyre

Once a month, Fighting Fit Kensington’s traditional workout is extended and athletes are able to test themselves against the mammoth El Grande Tyre. The El Grande Tyre weighs 700kg and the challenge is to push the tyre over an 80m course in the fastest possible time. The top 3 athletes from each monthly event qualify for an annual final and a chance to win prizes up to the value of R10,000.

EFC at El Grande

The El Grande events are frequented by some of the EFC’s top fighters and a great energy surrounds the event. EFC Africa fighter Wade Henderson was at the El Grande event on Sunday, no doubt training for EFC 13: Henderson vs James Le Roux

EFC's Wade Henderson tackles the El Grande Challenge

The EFC also uses the event to present their MMA title holders with official championship rings. This also gives the public a chance to interact with their favourite champions, take pictures or get autographs signed. 

EFC Championship Ring

Jeremy Smith at El Grande

The latest El Grande event, held on March 25th 2012, was attended by  EFC Africa Middleweight Champion Jeremy “Pitbull” Smith, who was presented with the championship ring that he earned at EFC Africa 12.

Jeremy Pitbull Smith presented with his EFC Ring

Dirk Steenekamp, Jeremy Smith, Cairo Howarth and Pietro Cignoli in front of the El Grande Tyre

Jeremy Smith takes photographs with fans at El Grande

All articles on: El Grande

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Most Dominant UFC Champion

After a serious exercise of reducing the UFC champions to numbers and studying these figures, I have a conclusion. Looking at the numbers, a lot made made sense and a lot didn't seem quite right. This was exactly what I had hoped for - to remove all the preconceptions and emotion and learn something new.

UFC Champions in order of dominance

Fighter	Total Rating
Anderson Silva	34.448
Georges St-Pierre	23.895
Jon Jones	9.700
Jose Aldo	9.316
Dominick Cruz	6.337
Junior dos Santos	3.417
Benson Henderson	3.267

While the order of this list seems generally correct, I feel the real surprise for me was just how dominant Anderson Silva is. I have often juggled between Silva and GSP as my top pound for pound MMA fighter in the world, and have on many occasions thought St-Pierre to be the more dominant champion. Amazing how differently the stats see it.
The better fighter however is something that will only be settled in the Octagon. Here are 5 reasons why Anderson Silva vs GSP makes perfect sense.

My Statistical Analysis of UFC Champions

1: Who is the most dominant UFC Champion? - introduction
2: Dominick Cruz

3: Jose Aldo

4: Benson Henderson

5: Georges St-Pierre

6: Anderson Silva

7: Jon Jones

8: Junior dos Santos

9: Fighter comparisons

10: Most dominant UFC Champion - conclusion

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Most Dominant UFC Champions - Fighter Comparisons

Best UFC Championship Record

Fighter	UFC Title Fight Stats
Anderson Silva	10-0
Georges St-Pierre	8-1
Jose Aldo	3-0
Jon Jones	3-0
Dominick Cruz	2-0
Junior dos Santos	1-0
Benson Henderson	1-0

Longest UFC Title Win Streak

Fighter	UFC Title Win Streak
Anderson Silva	10
Georges St-Pierre	7
Jose Aldo	3
Jon Jones	3
Dominick Cruz	2
Junior dos Santos	1
Benson Henderson	1

Best Title Fight Average Rating

Fighter	Average Rating
Anderson Silva	3.445
Junior dos Santos	3.417
Benson Henderson	3.267
Jon Jones	3.233
Dominick Cruz	3.129
Jose Aldo	3.023
Georges St-Pierre	2.655

Best Opponent Average Rating in Title Fights

Fighter	Average Rating
Benson Henderson	2.767
Junior dos Santos	2.667
Dominick Cruz	2.629
Jose Aldo	2.440
Anderson Silva	2.407
Jon Jones	2.401
Georges St-Pierre	2.371

Highest rated opponent

Fighter	Rating	Opponent
Anderson Silva	2.913	Rich Franklin
Jose Aldo	2.833	Chad Mendez
Georges St-Pierre	2.800	Jon Fitch
Benson Henderson	2.767	Frankie Edgar
Dominick Cruz	2.700	Demetrious Johnson
Junior dos Santos	2.667	Cain Velasquez
Jon Jones	2.608	Lyoto Machida

Most Title Fight KO/TKO Victories

Fighter	Wins
Anderson Silva	6
Georges St-Pierre	2
Jose Aldo	1
Jon Jones	1
Junior dos Santos	1
Dominick Cruz	0
Benson Henderson	0

Most Title Fight Submission Victories

Fighter	Wins
Anderson Silva	2
Jon Jones	2
Dominick Cruz	0
Jose Aldo	0
Benson Henderson	0
Georges St-Pierre	0
Junior dos Santos	0

My Statistical Analysis of UFC Champions

1: Who is the most dominant UFC Champion? - introduction
2: Dominick Cruz

3: Jose Aldo

4: Benson Henderson

5: Georges St-Pierre

6: Anderson Silva

7: Jon Jones

8: Junior dos Santos

9: Fighter comparisons

10: Most dominant UFC Champion - conclusion

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