Best MMA lightweight fighters in South Africa - June 2012

Over the past few months the South African lightweight division has undergone a serious facelift. Many of the division’s fighters have migrated to the featherweight division, and some new fighters have dropped down from welterweight to join its ranks. This has resulted in many changes to the pecking order and created some interesting new matchups for the future.

Here are my lightweight rankings post EFC Africa 14:

SA MMA lightweight rankings

1. Costa Ioannou (5–0)

Costa Ioannou faced his toughest test yet in Adam Speechly at EFC 14. After a dominant start, Ioannou seemed to run out of steam and was forced to dig deep to stop a very determined Speechly from taking his title. All in all, Costa Ioannou managed to get the job done and once more showed why he is South Africa’s best lightweight.   

2. Adam “The Prodigy” Speechly (12-4)

Former EFC Africa welterweight champion Adam Speechly impressed at EFC 14, pushing Costa Ioannou right to the very end. Though Speechly would lose the decision on points, The Prodigy added another impressive title fight performance to his resume. Speechly looked great at lightweight and I hope to see him remain in the division in the future.

3. Ryan “The Lion” van Niekerk (20-6)

Ryan van Niekerk is a veteran of the sport, and has held division gold in other promotions. Van Niekerk has also fought some of the toughest names in the business including Wesley Hawkey and Chris Bright. Currently on a four fight winning streak, The Lion managed to win his EFC debut against Markus Taljaard and will be looking to build on this platform and ultimately earn an EFC Africa title shot.

4. Alex Cheboub (9-6)

Alex Cheboub returned to his winning ways at EFC 14 by submitting Ashley Calvert in the second round. Cheboub has now won 4 of his last 5 fights in the EFC Hexagon. With this win, Cheboub has once more put himself in line for a top 5 opponent, hopefully we will be treated to Alex Cheboub vs Adam Speechly.

5. Leon Mynhardt (10-5)

Leon Mynhardt has had mixed results in the EFC at welterweight, but his lightweight debut against Don Madge at EFC 13 will not quickly be forgotten. Mynhardt managed to weather a huge early onslaught from Madge, regroup and ultimately win via TKO in the third. With a wealth of MMA and kickboxing experience, incredible stand-up and an ever improving ground game, Leon Mynhardt may be a serious threat to the pro-grappling lightweight division.

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MMA Lightweight Rankings - April 2012

A lot is happening in the lightweight division and many new fighters have begun to stake their claim as future greats.  Though there has been no real top lightweight action over the past month, there have been changes to the lightweight rankings based on inactivity and divisional changes. Adam Speechly’s drop to lightweight needed to be accounted for and due to inactivity over the past two years, Chris Bright has fallen off the rankings.

  

1. Costa Ioannou (4–0)

Undefeated in his professional career and boasting many of the biggest scalps in the division, Costa Ioannou is somewhat of an enigma in the lightweight class. He is ferocious on the feet, incredibly strong in the clinch and an expert on the ground, a mix which is proving increasingly difficult for the rest of the division to figure out. Ioannou, the current EFC Africa lightweight champion, was also the first South African to defend an EFC title, when he bested Alex Cheboub in emphatic style at EFC 10. If history is anything to go by, Costa Ioannou could be a dominant force in the hexagon for a long time to come.  

2. Brendon Katz (7-1)

Brendon Katz has a single blemish, courtesy of this list’s number one fighter, Costa Ioannou, in a fight of the night appearance. Shy of his only loss, Katz has looked impressive in the cage, and has recently made a successful jump to fighting internationally, where he has defeated USA’s Omar Santiago at XFC Africa 5 and UK’s Huseyin Garabet at UCMMA25. Hopefully we will see Brendon Katz back in the cage in South Africa soon, where he can put his wealth of experience to good use.  

3. Wentzel “The Animal” Nel (9-3)

Former EFC Africa Lightweight champion Wentzel Nel has used his wrestling to defeat some of the best in the division, including besting Leo Gloss to become the first EFC lightweight champion. Nel recently lost his lightweight crown to Costa Ioannou at EFC 08, but bounced back with a pair of wins against Manny Da Silva at EFC 09 and Terrence Griessel at EFC 11. It looks like The Animal wants his Lightweight belt back!

4. Ryan “The Lion” van Niekerk (20-6)

Ryan van Niekerk is a veteran of the sport, and has held division gold in other promotions. Van Niekerk has also fought some of the toughest names in the business including Wesley Hawkey and Chris Bright. Currently on a four fight winning streak, The Lion managed to win his EFC debut against Markus Taljaard and will be looking to build on this platform and ultimately earn an EFC Africa title shot.

5. Adam “The Prodigy” Speechly (12-3)

Former EFC Africa welterweight champion Adam Speechly will make his Lightweight debut at EFC 14 in a title fight against Costa Ioannou. Though The Prodigy has yet to fight at lightweight, his impressive welterweight resume assures him a place on this list, how he performs at lightweight, a division that I believe better suits him, will be interesting to see.

View all: MMA Rankings

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Adam Speechly - EFC 14 lightweight title shot controversy

The prospect of two of South Africa’s premier grapplers squaring off in the Hexagon is a mouth-watering one for any MMA fan. Add to this the fact that both men are accomplished MMA fighters, who have owned EFC Gold and you have the makings for a titanic clash. This is essentially what the EFC have done by matching reigning EFC Africa lightweight champion Costa Ioannou against former EFC Africa welterweight champion Adam Speechly at EFC Africa 14.

The timing of this bout however is completely wrong, and does a lot to detract from the grandeur of the event. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, this is the second time in as many events that the EFC has made a faux pas in selecting title challengers (the first I discussed in my article about Jadyson Costa's welterweight title shot).

Adam "The Prodigy" Speechly (12-3)

Adam Speechly (#2 Welterweight Rankings) is a great MMA fighter and holds notable wins over Dallas Jakobi, Dino Bagattin and Nolan Swanepoel. He has also won ample grappling events and was the first EFC Africa Welterweight champion. 

Adam Speechly was unsuccessful in his first title defence against Dallas Jakobi at EFC 10, his most recent outing in the EFC. Speechly has also lost two of his last three fights and has not fought since September last year.

Now, accomplished as Adam Speechly is and, exciting as a matchup with Ioannou promises to be, it is always going to be hard to sell Speechly as the current, legitimate number 1 contender.

Adam Speechly at lightweight

I am not denying the fact that I intrinsically like the idea of Adam Speechly vs Costa Ioannou. I happen to think it’s a great match and that Speechly’s move to lightweight is a prudent one.  I however think that the EFC should have gone about it in a different way and given Speechly a fight or two at lightweight to prove himself and earn his shot at Costa Ioannou’s title. 

Lightweight title contenders

Here are three far less controversial fights which Ioannou could have had:

• Ryan van Niekerk, as I discussed in my article 5 fights to make after EFC 12.
• Wentzel Nel, who has strung together two straight wins since losing his title to Ioannou.
• Chris Bright, my #2 Lightweight in South Africa, who isn't currently contracted to the EFC, but has expressed an interest in fighting Ioannou.

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5 Matches to make after EFC 12

Costa Ioannou

EFC Africa 12 was a great event, showcasing some great local fighting talent. A week later, the dust having settled, we are once more able to look forward to some great future MMA events. EFC 13 is just around the corner, and rumours of EFC 14 in May have already started to circle. Here is my list of matches to make post EFC 12:

Jeremy Smith vs Tyron Rightford

Middleweight Title Fight

Jeremy Smith realised his dream of being the EFC Africa Middleweight champion by defeating Garreth McLellan at EFC 12. Now at the top, he will have a host of hungry fighters nipping at his heels and Smith will have his work cut out for him staying atop a stacked Middleweight division. Contender Tyron Rightford (#4 Middleweight Rankings) is perfectly poised to challenge the new champion, having strung together 3 straight wins in the EFC Hexagon. Both Smith and Rightford are dangerous strikers and regular finishers and this promises to be an explosive standing battle.

Demarte Pena vs Wesley Hawkey

Featherweight Title Fight

This fight is a no brainer and already seems to be in the pipelines. When Wesley Hawkey defeated Denzil Wait at EFC 12, he solidified his position as the number one contender for the featherweight title, a title which is held by Demarte Pena. Pena has defeated some of the EFC’s top featherweight fighters, but has yet to be truly dominant in a bout. Hawkey, who has finished all of his EFC opponents in under two minutes, will prove a great test for the young champion.

Costa Ioannou vs Ryan van Niekerk

Lightweight Title Fight

Costa Ioannou has been out of action since his first title defence at EFC 11 almost 5 months ago. The dominant lightweight champion will surely be itching to return to the Hexagon. Ioannou has already defeated most of the top contenders in his division, which makes matchmaking a chore. Enter Ryan van Niekerk, a former fight force champion, whose EFC 12 victory against Markus Taljaard increased his current win streak to 4. This battle of the lightweight champions will be a great matchup between two fighters with very different styles.

Garreth McLellan vs Danie van Heerden

Middleweight Fight

Garreth McLellan showed the qualities of a champion, both inside and outside the Hexagon, in his EFC 12 clash with Jeremy Smith. The former middleweight champion will be looking to rebuild after his first defeat in the hexagon, and who better to test him than the new Danie van Heerden. Van Heerden has fought some of the biggest names in the EFC, but has never looked as good as he did on Friday night. Was it a fluke, or is Van Heerden the real deal at middleweight? McLellan will reveal the answer.

Michiel Opperman vs Martin van Staden

Welterweight Fight

Michiel Opperman’s submission victory over Dino Bagattin at EFC 12 shook up the welterweight división. For many months, the EFC has been trying to get Bagattin and van Staden into the cage to determine the number one welterweight contender. With his victory over Bagattin, the honour of fighting Martin van Staden is now bestowed on Opperman. Martin Van Staden is already back in training after his untimely injury earlier this year, and this bout will be a great test for both men.

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Lightweight Rankings - March 2012

Costa Ioannou

There was not much top end lightweight action at EFC 12, as a result most of the rankings remain unchanged. There were however some new challengers uncovered who many yet be a threat in the EFC lightweight division. Keep an eye on Ryan van Niekerk and Boyd Allen in the future.

  

1. Costa Ioannou (4–0)

Undefeated in his professional career and boasting many of the biggest scalps in the division, Costa Ioannou is somewhat of an enigma in the lightweight class. He is ferocious on the feet, incredibly strong in the clinch and an expert on the ground, a mix which is proving increasingly difficult for the rest of the division to figure out. Ioannou, the current EFC Africa lightweight champion, was also the first South African to defend an EFC title, when he bested Alex Cheboub in emphatic style at EFC 10. If history is anything to go by, Costa Ioannou could be a dominant force in the hexagon for a long time to come.

2. Chris Bright (26-3)

Chris Bright made a quick cameo in the EFC, earned a title shot and was then forced to withdraw due to injury. This is all most MMA fans have seen of one of the most decorated MMA fighters South Africa has ever produced. Bright has fought both nationally and internationally for many years and is regarded as one of the best ground specialists in the country. As MMA fans we can only hope that the powers that be can arrange for Chris Bright to challenge Costa Ioannou sooner rather than later, in what would undoubtedly be a defining fight for South African MMA and a BJJ master class.

3. Brendon Katz (7-1)

Brendon Katz has a single blemish, courtesy of this list’s number one fighter, Costa Ioannou, in a fight of the night appearance. Shy of his only loss, Katz has looked impressive in the cage, and has recently made a successful jump to fighting internationally, where he has defeated USA’s Omar Santiago at XFC Africa 5 and UK’s Huseyin Garabet at UCMMA25. Hopefully we will see Brendon Katz back in the cage in South Africa soon, where he can put his wealth of experience to good use.  

4. Wentzel “The Animal” Nel (9-3)

Former EFC Africa Lightweight champion Wentzel Nel has used his wrestling to defeat some of the best in the division, including besting Leo Gloss to become the first EFC lightweight champion. Nel recently lost his lightweight crown to Costa Ioannou at EFC 08, but bounced back with a pair of wins against Manny Da Silva at EFC 09 and Terrence Griessel at EFC 11. It looks like The Animal wants his Lightweight belt back!

5. Ryan “The Lion” van Niekerk (20-6)

Ryan van Niekerk is a veteran of the sport, and has held division gold in other promotions. Van Niekerk has also fought some of the toughest names in the business including Wesley Hawkey and Chris Bright. Currently on a four fight winning streak, The Lion managed to win his EFC debut against Markus Taljaard and will be looking to build on this platform and ultimately earn an EFC Africa title shot.

View all : Best MMA fighters in South Africa

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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 - 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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