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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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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Where to watch EFC 12

The Mixed Martial Arts revolution in Africa and particularly South Africa has been taken to the next level by the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC). Building on the platform created by other great local promotions, the EFC has managed to take MMA to a larger audience and as a result the sport's popularity is growing steadily.

Continuing to pioneer MMA in South Africa, the EFC will once more break new ground with their upcoming event EFC Africa 12. The event, hosted at Carnival city, will reach a far greater audience than any other of its predecessors through various new media. This will also aid the EFC in its goal to become a truly national promotion and will enable all the loyal Gauteng fans to keep up with the action at EFC Africa 13 in Cape Town later this year.

In addition to the spectacle of viewing all the action live at Carnival City, EFC 12 will also be available to fans on the following broadcast mediums:

Nu Metro Cinemas
Fans from across South Africa can watch the action via a live broadcast at various participating Nu Metro Cinemas. Tickets cost R185.00 and have a tendency to sell our in the days leading up the event. Book now to avoid disappointment.


Pay Per View Online
For the past few events, the EFC has offered free live streaming of their events on the official website. Having sufficiently tested the system, EFC 12 will be the first event using the traditional Pay Per View model. This is a very convenient way to watch the events from the comfort of your home and the quality is very good. Just make sure your internet speed is high enough to avoid any lag.

Live maincard broadcast on eTV
The 4 main event fights will be broadcast live on eTV on Friday 2 March at 22:30. In a previous article, EFC on eTV, I discussed the significance of this for MMA, as this free medium will enable viewers from all over Africa to tune in to one of the biggest MMA fights seen on the continent, the Middleweight title fight between Garreth "Soldierboy" McLellan and Jeremy "Pibull" Smith.

For full information on where to watch EFC Africa 12, click here to visit the official EFC website.

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EFC Africa 12 fight predictions

With EFC Africa 12 just around the corner, I have prepared my list of predictions for the entire fight card. Some of the fights were easy to call, others very difficult and I will not be surprised if they go the other way. Here are my predictions for the event, starting with the headline event for EFC 12 - Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith for the EFC Africa Middleweight title.

Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith

Winner: Jeremy Smith via TKO round 2

No stranger to big stages, Smith will come out confident and aggressive, pressing the action against a more tentative McLellan, who will take some time to find his range and work out his opponent. Smith will continue to stalk McLellan and seemingly fire strikes at will, while Soldierboy will be looking to keep the distance, pick his shots and ultimately take the Pitbull to the ground. In the end I believe Jeremy Smith will be able to neutralise McLellan’s offence while connecting with power shots and eventually crumple the champion and force a TKO stoppage. Full review: Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith fight preview.

Sean Robinson vs Tumelo Maphutha

Winner: Sean Robinson via TKO round 1

With both fighters coming from a striking background this should be high level standing battle which could end with a single strike. I think Robinson will get off first, fell Maphutha and finishing him on the canvas with a flurry of strikes.

Donavin Hawkey vs Danie Van Heerden

Winner: Donavin Hawkey via TKO round 1

I believe Hawkey to be just too good for Van Heerden here. The fact that Van Heerden only took the fight on short notice and is coming down a couple of divisions will certainly add to this. Hawkey will use his boxing pedigree to finish this fight early in the first round.

Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman

Winner: Dino Bagattin via KO round 2

Another matchup between strikers of consequence, this middleweight fight promises ample bloodshed. With very few submission victories recorded between them, it is highly likely that this fight will not spend too much time on the ground. The first round will largely be a feeler round as both fighters gauge distance and timing but it should open up nicely as the round progresses. I predict Dino Bagattin will be the first to land a significant blow well into the second round and with it end the bout.

Wesley Hawkey vs Denzil Wait

Winner: Wesley Hawkey via Submisson round 2

This is a very tough fight to call as both fighters are in incredible form. I think Hawkey will have the advantage standing and will utilise this to gain momentum and swing the fight in his favour, but will ultimately end up finishing the fight on the ground in the second round.

Wade Henderson vs Josh Muller

Winner: Josh Muller via Submission round 2

Both Muller and Henderson have grappling backgrounds and this fight should end up on the ground. Henderson, who holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has surprisingly few submission victories, while Muller has won almost all of his fights in this manner. I think Muller will surprise Henderson and sneak a submission victory in the second.

Paul Kietzmann vs Ricky Misholas

Winner: Paul Kietzmann via KO in round 1

Kietzmann made quite a statement in the EFC when he blasted through Lance Ceronio in 17 seconds at EFC Africa 6. I believe he will be able to out strike Misholas early on and catch him with a bomb to end the bout in the first round.

Francios Groenewald vs Dino Bertolis

Winner: Dino Bertolis via decision

This featherweight rematch is going to be a cracker and is my prediction for fight of the night. Bertolis managed to defeat Groenewald when they first clashed as amateurs almost 2 years ago. Though very different fighters since then, on paper they seem evenly matched, with both men bringing serious grappling skills into the hexagon. Bertolis however, has always been a cardio freak and will be able to push the pace for all three rounds and my belief is that this will be enough of an advantage to claim a decision victory.

Boyd Allen vs Donald Nzirawa

Winner: Donald Nzirawa via Submission round 2

Surprisingly for a fighter with incredible stand-up skills, most of Boyd Allen’s wins have come via Submission. Nzirawa however is a submission master and has finished some of the best in the featherweight division. I believe he will be too experienced for Allen and too clinical on the ground and will take the win via Submission in the second round.

Ryan van Niekerk vs Steven Momah

Winner: Ryan van Niekerk via Submission round 1

Ryan van Niekerk is an MMA veteran and has been the lightweight champion in other promotions. I believe he will be much too experienced and well rounded for the fairly new MMA fighter in Momah. Van Niekerk will exploit the Nigerians lack of ground experience to finish him in the first frame.

 
Pete Motaung vs JP Kruger

Winner: Pete Motaung via TKO round 1

Another battle between proficient strikers, Motaung vs Kruger will likely end without much time being spent on the matt. I believe Motaung to have the slightly better striking pedigree and he will use this to once more defeat Kruger via TKO in the first.

Koba Iakobidze vs Gareth Buirski

Winner: Gareth Buirski via Submission

Both fighters have great amateur records, though Iakobidze is a little too reliant on his stand-up and I predict Buirski will be able to capitalise on this and use his superior diversity to put Iakobidze on his back and quickly finish him in the first round.

EFC 12 Fight Prediction Summary

Total wins by KO / TKO: 6

Total wins by submission: 5

Total wins by decision: 1

Fight of the night : Dino Bertolis vs Francois Groenewald

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EFC 12 Iakobidze vs Buirski added to the fight card

The Extreme Fighting Championship has finally announced the final fight for its opening event in 2012. EFC Africa 12 will host a featherweight clash between Georgian born boxing sensation Koba Iakobidze (1-1) and Gareth Buirski (1-0).

This should be an interesting fight indeed. Both fighters will be making EFC Africa debut on March 2, they both train in Pretoria and both have stellar amateur records: Buirski (9-1) and Iakobidze (4-1). They do however have different approaches to fighting, with Iakobidze heavily favouring his hands due to his boxing pedigree and Buirski believing in using his more well rounded skill set to neutralise his opponents strengths.

As we head into the final weeks leading up to the event, The EFC fight card has now got its full compliment of bouts scheduled and hopefully the fighter preparation will go smoothly and without any further training injuries.

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EFC 12 - Wade Groth out

Three weeks out and EFC 12 has been forced to change yet another fight. Wade Groth has withdrawn from his lightweight clash with Boyd Allen, citing flu and a viral infection which reduced his ability to prepare for the fight. Respectful of his opponent's ability, Groth did not which to enter the hexagon at anything less than 100%.

Boyd Allen (4-2) will now make his EFC debut against Donald "Superman" Nzirawa (6-5, 1-1 EFC).

Donald Nzirawa is not stranger to the big stage and has quite an Mixed Martial Arts resume, including fights with notable fighters Neil Diesel (#5 SA WW Rankings), Johan van Staden, Wesley Hawkey (#2 SA FW Rankings) and Ronald Dlamini. Superman also holds notable wins over Denzil Wait (#3 Featherweight), Terence Griessel and Ashley Calvert.

Boyd Allen, who hails from a boxing background will fancy himself the favourite standing, but will be challenged by the ground game of Nzirawa, who has a background in Jui-Jitsu. This should be an action packed fight between two lightweights looking to break into the upper tier.

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EFC Africa 12 - What a difference a month makes

When EFC Africa 12 was announced last year, I found myself thinking that the event sported the best South African fight card I had seen to date. The main card especially housed some colossal bouts between the some of the country's finest athletes.

Headlined by arguably the biggest MMA fight on African soil, a Middleweight title fight pitting reigning champion Garreth McLellan against Jeremy Smith, the card could not get a bigger main event. The main card was further bolstered by two number one contender fights - a Welterweight scrap between Dino Bagattin and Martin Van Staden, and a Middleweight grudge match between Donavin Hawkey and Tyron Rightford. The main card was to be rounded up by a Light Heavyweight strikefest between Sean Robinson and Tumelo Maphutha.

The last few weeks have not been kind to athletes and fans alike, as two of the main card fights
 have been pulled due to fighter injuries. Martin Van Staden and Tyron Rightford both suffered neck injuries in training and will be unable to compete at the event. The EFC were quick to react and find replacement fighters in Michiel Opperman and Danie van Heerden.

EFC Africa 12 revised main fight card
Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith (Middleweight Title fight)
Donavin Hawkey vs Danie van Heerden (Middlweight fight)
Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman (Welterweight fight)
Sean Robinson vs Tumelo Maphutha (Light Heavyweight fight)

The revised fight card still looks respectable, but certainly lacks the overall appeal of the previous edition, and while EFC Africa 12 still looks to be an entertaining event, the ensuing disappointment that fight cancellations bring has cast a shadow of the event and it has definitely lost its "best fight card in South Africa" status.

With many of the EFC champions well rested and surely hungry to return to the hexagon, we can look forward to EFC Africa 13 in Cape Town, in a hope that the match makers will be able to conjure up something spectacular.

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Hawkey vs Van Heerden at EFC 12

The EFC has announced another change to its March 2 EFC 12 fight card due to injury. The hugely anticipated middleweight clash between Donavin Hawkey and Tyron Rightford has been cancelled due to Rightford suffering a neck injury in training. Apart from the what this fight promised on paper, both Hawkey and Rightford had taken to twitter to exchange banter, and had gone a long way to promoting this as one of the fights of the night at EFC 12. Many fans have already expressed their disappointment at the news, but wish Tyron Rightford a speedy recovery and hopefully we will see him in action again soon.

In the wake of this news, the EFC wasted no time in finding a replacement for Rightford. Donavin Hawkey (#3 South African MMA Middleweights) will now face EFC veteran Danie van Heerden in a Middleweight fight.

Van Heerden (8-4, 2-2 EFC), who started his EFC career at heavyweight has faced some big opponents in the hexagon, including former heavyweight champion Normal "Chef" Wessels (#3 South African MMA Heavyweights) and J.P Joubert, but dropping to middleweight, Van Heerden believes he can bring a better package to the cage. Van Heerden has been training hard in the hope that an opportunity would come his way and has embraced the opportunity to fight Hawkey. He certainly feels he can win the fight.

Donavin Hawkey, having also fought in higher weight divisions for most of his career, will not be at all intimidated by the larger opponent. While a decent replacement Donavin Hawkey vs Danie van Heerden does not hold the same allure as the previously slated bout between Hawkey and Rightford.

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EFC 12 - more fight card changes

Just shy of a month before EFC Africa 12, the powers that be have released changes to the fight card for the highly anticipated event. The major announcement was the opponent for Welterweight talent Dino Bagattin (#4 SA Welterweight Rankings), whose original bout against Martin van Staden at EFC 12 was once again cancelled due to injury.

Dino Bagattin (8-1) will now face former Middleweight contender Michiel Opperman (8-6) at EFC 12. Do not be fooled by Opperman's seemingly mediocre stats, the Pretorian striker is on a 5 fight winning streak, and has toppled some competent fighters including Danie van Heerden, Johan van Staden, Kelvin Mwale and Ronald Dlamini. Both Bagattin and Opperman have immense respect for each others fighting abilities and both coming from a striking background, this could definitely be a fight for the casual fan and a contender for both fight and knockout of the night awards.

With a month to go, the fighters should be able to get in the necessary training and be at their best come fight night. Is there enough time for Opperman to drop a weight division without any ill effects though? He seems to think so, as he has been training consistently, and feels that coming down a division may even help him against Bagattin. We will see in 4 weeks time!

Coupled with this news, was the announcement that Lightweight Paul de Vos would no longer be competing at EFC Africa 12. Ryan van Niekerk, who was originally slated to face de Vos, will now make his debut in the hexagon against Nigerian Steven Momah. Neither fighter seems to phased about the change and both feel confident in their abilities to take home the win. I for one am glad we will still be able to see van Niekerk in action!

EFC 12 fight card changes
Dino Bagattin vs Michiel Opperman (Welterweight)
Ryan van Niekerk vs Steven Momah (Lightweight)

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