Best MMA featherweights in South Africa - June 2012

EFC Africa 14 was jam packed with featherweight talent. The event saw two top lightweight fighters dropping to featherweight, featured three of the top five featherweights in action and was co-headlined by a brilliant featherweight title fight between Demarte Pena and Wesley Hawkey. With all this activity, the featherweight division is shaping up to be one of the most exciting divisions in the EFC.

Post EFC 14, here are my South African MMA featherweight rankings:

SA MMA featherweight rankings

1. Demarte “The Wolf” Pena (4-0)

Demarte Pena managed to weather the storm that was Wesley Hawkey at EFC 14. The young champion held his nerve and seized his opportunity to submit Hawkey late in the fourth round via rear naked choke. With this victory, Pena took his EFC winning streak to 4, defended his featherweight title for the first time and secured his spot atop this ranking list.

2. Wesley “The Young Assassin” Hawkey (7-3)

After executing a near perfect game plan, Wesley Hawkey was punished by Demarte Pena for a mistake late in the fourth round of their EFC 14 featherweight title fight. Hawkey was ahead on my scorecard at the time, and can be proud of his performance. Hawkey will now have to go back to the drawing board, but has shown that he is a serious contender in the featherweight division.

3. Wentzel “The Animal” Nel (10-3)

Wentzel Nel made a huge statement by defeating Denzil Wait at EFC 14. The former lightweight champion looked comfortable at featherweight and with his wealth of experience will be a great test for any of the fighters on this list. Wentzel Nel will likely challenge Demarte Pena for his title in the near future.

4. Denzil “Redstarr” Wait (5-3)

Denzil Wait put up a solid performance against Wentzel Nel in what was one of the fights of the night. Wait had the former champion in trouble a few times, but was unable to finish the fight and ultimately succumbed to Nel’s elbows in the second frame. Denzil Wait showed that he is a high level featherweight, worthy of a spot on this list.

5. 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. 

To view rankings for all divisions, visit my MMA Rankings page.

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Wentzel Nel vs Denzil Wait at EFC 14

The EFC Africa 14 fight card took a huge leap forward today with the announcement of a few more fights, the highlight of which is a featherweight fight between former EFC Africa lightweight champion Wentzel "The Animal" Nel and Denzil "Redstarr" Wait.

Wentzel "The Animal" Nel

Wentzel Nel (9-3, 5-2 EFC) is one of the most experienced fighters in the EFC. The Animal was the first ever EFC Africa champion and has defeated some of the top light men in the promotion including Jean-Luc Kazadi, Leo Gloss and Terrence Griessel twice. Nel's only EFC losses came at the hands of current EFC Africa lightweight kingpin Costa Ioannou and American fighter Dave Mazany.

After stringing together two wins en route a rematch for his lightweight title, Wentzel Nel recently dropped to featherweight and will begin a title campaign in the lighter division. Though a genuine threat at lightweight, I believe the featherweight division will better suite Nel's physical attributes and he will be a serious title contender.

Wentzel Nel

Denzil "Redstarr" Wait

Denzil Wait (5-2) was thrown into the deep end of the EFC featherweight division from the word go, fighting Abdul Hassan (#4 Featherweight rankings) and Wesley Hawkey (#2 Featherweight rankings) in his first two bouts. Though convincing in his victory against Adbul Hassan, Wait never really got going against Wesley Hawkey at EFC 12 and lost via first round submission. Things are not slowing down for Denzil Wait who will now face another top 5 opponent in Wentzel Nel. 

Denzil Wait

Wentzel Nel vs Denzil Wait at EFC Africa 14

Wentzel Nel and Denzil Wait are both powerful fighters who like to manhandle their opponents, this should make for a very physical fight. With Nel dropping a weight division and Wait coming off his first EFC loss, it will be interesting to see how the fighters approach the fight. The title shot of course looms, but I am especially looking forward to see what a featherweight Wentzel Nel can do. 

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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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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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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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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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EFC 12 Pro's Picks

With the EFC's first event in 2012 just around the corner, the EFC team sat down with some of its contracted pros to get their thoughts on the fights. The four professional fighters included two current EFC Africa champions - heavyweight champion Ruan Potts and welterweight champion Dallas Jakobi. The other two pro fighters were combatants who were forced to withdraw from this very event due to  injury, namely Martin van Staden and Tyron Rightford.

The professionals were asked to give their views on the following EFC Africa 12 fights:

Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith (Middleweight Title fight)
For this fight I predicted Jeremy Smith to win via second round TKO. I really felt I would be a minority in this prediction as McLellan is not only a great all round fighter, but also the reigning Middleweight champion and a huge fan favourite.


Pros who picked Garreth McLellan to win: 1
Pros who picked Jeremy Smith to win: 3
My prediction article: Jeremy Smith vs Garreth McLellan preview

Wesley Hawkey vs Denzil Wait (Featherweight)
Another extremely close fight between two high level featherweights, this was probably the hardest fight on the card to pick a winner for. I went with Wesley Hawkey because I felt he would have the upper hand standing and is well versed in his submissions.

Pros who picked Wesley Hawkey: 3
Pros who picked Denzil Wait: 1

Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman (Welterweight)
A battle of very high level strikers, Bagattin and Opperman almost nullify each other standing. I felt that Bagattin would have a slight advantage due to being in his natural weight class. I do also think he has a slightly stronger ground game. The pros had very mixed feelings on the outcome of this fight, most seemed to think it would not finish early.

Pros who picked Dino Bagattin: 2
Pros who picked Michiel Opperman: 2

Sean Robinson vs Tumelo Maphutha (Light Heavyweight)
A difficult fight to call between two fairly new MMA fighters, I went with Sean Robinson on more of a feel from his last fight.

Pros who picked Sean Robinson: 4
Pros who picked Tumelo Maphutha: 0

Analysis
Total Pro Picks: 16
Pros pick with the same winner as me: 12
Pros pick with a different winner to me: 4
Pros alignment with my views: 75%

Click here to view my full fight card predictions for EFC 12
To view the pros picks on the EFC Africa website complete with their rationale, click here

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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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Wesley Hawkey vs Denzil Wait announced for EFC 12

In the wake of the recent announcement of Tyron Rightford vs Donavin Hawkey, EFC Africa has confirmed yet another feature fight for its EFC 12 event taking place in March 2012.

Featherweight prospects Wesley “The Young Assassin” Hawkey (6-2) (#2 MMASA Featherweight Rankings) and Denzil “Redstarr” Wait (5-1) (#3 MMASA Featherweight Rankings) will square off in a number one contender match-up, the winner of which will undoubtedly fight reigning featherweight champion Demarte “The Wolf” Pena for the EFC Africa Featherweight title.

Both fighters, ranked second and third in the featherweight division, are undefeated in the Extreme Fighting Championship and have experienced few problems with their previous EFC opponents. Hawkey (2-0 EFC) defeated both Jean-Luc Kazadi and Victor Anyaogu within 2 minutes, while Wait (1-0 EFC) forced a verbal submission from Abdul Hassan at just 2:12 in the first round.

Hawkey vs Wait should be a true test for both men and a great spectacle for South African MMA fans.

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EFC Africa 12 – McLellan vs Smith announced

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

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

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

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

Confirmed fight card for EFC 12:

Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith (Middleweight Title fight)

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

Sean Robinson vs Tumelo Maphutha

Wade Henderson vs Josh Muller

Paul Kietzmann vs Ricky Misholas

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

EFC Africa 12 fight predictions

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

EFC 12 - McLellan vs Smith Promotional Video

EFC 12 Weigh in Results

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

EFC 12 Results

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

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