Jadyson Costa vs Michiel Opperman at EFC 16

Today the Extreme Fighting Championship announced that Jadyson Costa will defend his welterweight title against Michiel Opperman at EFC 16. The event, which has not officially been released by the EFC, is rumoured to be taking place in Cape Town in September 2012.

Jadyson "Little Wanderlei" Costa

Jadyson Costa (13-12-1) dominated Dallas Jakobi at EFC 13 to become the EFC Africa welterweight champion. Costa out-struck Jakobi and managed to finish him via fourth round TKO. Jadyson Costa now holds an impressive 3-0 record in the EFC and sits atop the welterweight rankings. 

Jadyson Costa

Michiel Opperman

Michiel Opperman (10-6) has grown immensely as a mixed martial artist over the last 18 months and now holds an impressive 7 fight win streak (3-0 EFC). The former kickboxer has also developed a dangerous ground game and has submitted all three of his EFC opponents. With notable wins over Dino Bagattin and Martin van Staden, Michiel Opperman is a genuine contender for the welterweight title.

Michiel Opperman

Jadyson Costa vs Michiel Opperman at EFC 16

Jadyson Costa and Michiel Opperman are very different fighters, both physically and stylistically, which makes for an interesting match-up. Costa brings a certain mystique to the Hexagon due to his impressive international resume, while Opperman brings a reputation for winnings fights that on paper he oughtn't to win.

Both men are also undefeated in the EFC and have notched up some impressive wins in their tenure with the promotion. This is a fight I am really looking forward to.

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Jadyson Costa is the new EFC Africa Welterweight Champion

Moments ago Jadyson "Little Wanderlei" Costa (13-12-1) defeated Dallas Jakobi to become the new EFC Africa Welterweight Champion. Jadyson Costa, who is now 3-0 in the EFC, dominated the four round title fight from the get go, using clinical counter punching to score almost at will. Costa looked like he was really enjoying himself as he taunted the former champion and continued to land punches and kicks throughout the fight. In the first and third rounds Dallas Jakobi was saved by the bell. The fourth round saw Costa drop a busted Jakobi and quickly finish him to become the new EFC Africa Welterweight champion.

Jadyson Costa, renowned for his high level ground game, said prior to the bout that he wanted to prove to the South African audience that he could stand with the best of them. Throughout the fight, Little Wanderlei did not attempt a sign take down or submission, and certainly achieved his goal with an impressive striking performance.

Costa was extremely happy to win the title, but more so to have down it in his newly adopted home city of Cape Town. The Cape Town crowd in turn rallied behind their fighter and were extremely vocal in their support of their local African Top Team fighter.

Jadyson Costa is now set to defend his newly earned welterweight strap against fellow EFC 13 victor Michiel Opperman, who managed to defeat Martin van Staden in their number one contender bout earlier tonight.

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Dallas Jakobi vs Adam Speechly EFC 10 Title fight

Reigning EFC Africa welterweight champion Dallas Jakobi and his predecessor Adam Speechly will both be involved in EFC Africa title fights in the next two months. Jakobi will defend his welterweight strap against Jadyson Costa at EFC 13 on Friday 13 April, while Speechly is slated to face lightweight kingpin Costa Ioannou at EFC 14 on 1 June.

Dallas Jakobi vs Adam Speecly at EFC 10

It seems a age since the Dallas Jakobi and Adam Speechly clashed at EFC Africa 10 in a back and forward tussle which earned fight of the night and was later said to be one of the best fights in the EFC's history. Speechly was surprisingly effective on the feet and his usual dangerous self on the ground and nearly finished the fight on multiple occasions. It was however Dallas Jakobi who took top honours on the night, using effective top control and ground and pound to earn himself a unanimous decision victory and the EFC Africa welterweight title. Here is the highlight video from the fight.

Dallas Jakobi vs Adam Speechly welterweight title fight video

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EFC Africa 13 - Jakobi vs Costa: New Promo Video

The Extreme Fighting Championship has released a new promotional video for the main event of their upcoming  event - EFC Africa 13. The headline event sees reigning EFC Africa welterweight champion Dallas Jakobi (#1 Welterweight Rankings) defend his title against dangerous Brazilian fighter Jadyson Costa.

The new promo video takes the viewer into the mind of the fighters as the prepare for the upcoming fight. For more information on this fight, read my preview article: Dallas Jakobi vs Jadyson Costa fight preview

Dallas Jakobi vs Jadyson Costa Promo Video

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Georges St-Pierre - UFC Welterweight Champion

Georges "Rush" St-Pierre is the poster boy of the UFC and considered by many to be one of the best Pound for Pound fighters in the world. St-Pierre started his career in the UFC in 2004 at age 22 and has had a long and illustrious career, beating some of the most dangerous men on the planet along the way. Although St-Pierre did face Matt Hughes in a title fight in 2004, the fight is not documented here as he never claimed the title.

Georges St-Pierre UFC title fights

Fighter	UFC Stats	Rating	Bonuses	Score
Matt Hughes	14-2	2.697	Title	3.447
Matt Serra	4-4	1.885	Title, KO	-1.865
Matt Serra	5-4	1.984	Title, KO	2.734
Jon Fitch	8-0	2.8	Title, Streak(1)	3.382
BJ Penn	9-3	2.279	Title, KO, Streak(2)	3.180
Thiago Alves	9-2	2.364	Title, Streak(3)	3.178
Dan Hardy	4-0	2.419	Title, Streak(4)	3.211
Josh Koscheck	13-4	2.343	Title, Streak(5)	3.199
Jake Shields	1-0	2.566	Title, Streak(6)	3.526
Total	67-19	21.34		23.895
Average	78%	2.371		2.655

Georges St-Pierre UFC title summary

• Georges St-Pierre has the second longest winning title winning streak – 7 fights.
• Georges St- Pierre is one of two champions to have lost in the UFC (along with Jon Jones)
• Georges St-Pierre is the only champion to have lost his UFC title.
• Georges St-Pierre has faced the third highest rated opponent – Jon Fitch
• Georges St-Pierre has the second most KO/TKO title victories – 2
• Georges St-Pierre has the lowest average fight rating, largely influenced by his title loss.

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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Michiel Opperman vs Martin van Staden - EFC 13

Today the EFC announced another great match-up to bolster the fight card for Cape Town's EFC Africa 13.  Michiel Opperman will face off against Martin van Staden in a welterweight clash to determine the divisions number one contender. This is a fight I really want to see (5 Matches to make after EFC 12) and the winner will earn a title shot against the EFC's welterweight champion who will be determined  in the EFC 13 headline title clash between Dallas Jakobi and Jadyson Costa.

Michiel Opperman (9-6), a new additional to the welterweight division, recently defeated Dino Bagattin at EFC 12 via triangle choke. The kick boxer from Pretoria has won 6 straight fights against some very notable opponents and as a result has moved up to #3 on my Welterweight ranking list.

Martin "The Punisher" van Staden (18-5) last fought in November last year against Nolan Swanepoel. He was slated to face Dino Bagattin at EFC 12 but was forced to pull out of this #1 contender match due to injury. The Punisher is now back at training, but will only have three weeks in which to regain full fitness. Van Staden currently occupies the 4th spot on my Welterweight ranking list.

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Dallas Jakobi vs Jadyson Costa EFC 13 fight preview

On Friday 13 April 2012, the Extreme Fighting Championship will host its inaugural MMA event in Cape Town. EFC 13 will be headlined by an exciting Welterweight match between reigning champion Dallas Jakobi and Brazilian challenger Jadyson Costa, a fight which put the final touches on a new chapter in South African MMA.

Dallas Jakobi (12-5)

Dallas Jakobi overcame much adversity en route his welterweight title. The Gorgeous Boyz fighter was all but out twice against Wade Henderson before he pulled off a remarkable comeback victory, followed by a five round war of attrition with Adam Speechly in their Welterweight title fight at EFC 10. Through this Jakobi has shown that he can never be counted out  and has the heart of a champion.  While Jakobi was able to pull off these impressive victories, the frequency with which he gets himself into trouble it is somewhat concerning, especially on the ground.

Jadyson “Little Wanderlei” Costa (12-12)

After 5 minutes in the Hexagon spanning two fights, Jadyson Costa is still somewhat of an enigma to South African MMA. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt displayed amazing ground skills in submitting both Wade Henderson and James Rennie, but has of yet not been truly tested on the feet or taken into deep water. With a wealth of international fighting experience behind him, and a history of training with top MMA fighters, one must assume that Costa has a complete MMA game.

Fighter Comparison

Though Jadyson Costa has shown no real weakness striking, the stand-up game should favour Dallas Jakobi, who is more aggressive and has real knockout power coupled with a solid chin.  The ground however, is where this fight will get interesting as Jakobi’s trademark ground and pound will be tested against Costa’s high level BJJ game. Due to Jakobi’s apparent susceptibility to submissions, the ground advantage has to go to Jadyson Costa, who is extremely well versed and clinical off his back.

Mentally I believe neither fighter has an advantage as both are very experienced and should be used to the spotlight. Jakobi will feel the pressure to defend his belt, while Costa will feel the pressure of being an international fighter who is expected to win.

Dallas Jakobi vs Jadyson Costa Fight Prediction

Dallas Jakobi will come out the aggressor and want to play to his strengths and keep the fight standing. Jadyson Costa will exchange with the champion, but always look for an opportunity to take the fight to ground. Short of a big Jakobi bomb landing, the fight will eventually go to ground and here is where it gets real. Jakobi has shown brutal ground and pound and will look to work the top position en route a TKO stoppage. Costa however, is just that much sharper off his back than Jakobi’s previous opponents, opponents who have put the champ in precarious situations. I believe Jadyson Costa will sneak in a triangle choke in the closing moments of the first frame to become the new EFC Africa Welterweight champion.

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Jadyson Costa - EFC 13 title shot premature

Jadyson “Little Wanderlei” Costa (12-12-1,2-0 EFC) is a highly experienced martial artist, having trained with and competed against some of the best fighters in the world. In his professional MMA career, spanning more than a decade, Costa has fought all over the world including in the MMA Mecca’s of Japan and Brazil. 

Costa’s move to Cape Town, South Africa, to train and coach at the Pride Fighting Academy was merely a prequel to Little Wanderlei getting involved in the South African MMA scene. Carrying an 8 fight losing streak, there was uncertainty as to how he would perform in the evolving community.

At EFC Africa 10 Jadyson Costa, a member of African Top Team, stepped into the EFC hexagon against local welterweight Wade Henderson, one of South Africa’s most experienced fighters. 

Henderson was a great opening test for the Brazilian and would help us to gauge just how big the gap between South African MMA and the international MMA community was. A little over three minutes later and we had the first piece of the puzzle. Though the fight was by no means one sided, Costa, a BJJ black belt managed to use his superior ground skills to submit Henderson via Kimura in the first round and earn himself his first victory in almost four years.

Costa’s next test came in the form of James Rennie, an experienced local fighter who was making his EFC Africa debut. Costa managed to take the fight to the ground very early on and then outclass Rennie with his BJJ pedigree to earn another submission victory. 

Jadyson Costa has certainly caused ripples in the EFC Welterweight division. With two submission victories and two submission of the night awards under his belt, the Brazilian was certainly en route a title shot had he continued in this vein of form. 

Today the Extreme Fighting Championship announced that Jadyson Costa would challenge Dallas Jakobi for his Welterweight title in the headline event at EFC Africa 13 in Cape Town later this year. As good as Jadyson Costa is, one cannot help but feel that in getting the title shot so soon, Costa has leapfrogged some serious contenders. Guys like Martin van Staden and Dino Bagattin, who are currently on 3 fight winning streaks within the promotion and have fought title contenders in Adam Speechly and Nolan Swanepoel respectively. It seems somewhat of an injustice to throw another fighter, albeit a quality one, ahead of those who have paid their dues and climbed the welterweight ladder.

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Adam Speechly vs Dallas Jakobi fight Preview EFC 10

On Thursday 01 September 2011, Adam “The Prodigy” Speechly (12-2) will put his EFC welterweight belt on the line as he takes on Durban based challenger Dallas Jakobi (11-4) in his first title defence. 

Adam “The Prodigy” Speechly

At just 22 years of age, Adam Speechly has achieved more in the world of MMA than many of his seniors and he enters this bout with a wealth of experience. He is  renowned for his masterful ground game, and has submitted many of his previous opponents. The prodigy has not lost to a South African opponent in the EFC, his only loss in the organisation coming at the hands of  Lebanese fighter Abdullah Hamdan at EFC 06. Speechly took this loss in his stride and bounced back to defeat Nolan Swanepoel at EFC 08 to be the first EFC Welterweight champion. He will look to become the first champion in EFC history to successfully defend his belt.

Dallas Jakobi

Dallas Jakobi is a seasoned campaigner, with 15 professional fights under his belt. Traditionally a middleweight, the Durbanite has fought many South African greats including Darren Daniel, Martin van Staden and of Adam Speechly. He also holds notable wins over Wade Henderson and Paul Cunningham. Coming into the bout on a 3 fight winning streak, Jakobi will look to use his trademark ground and pound to wrest the title from Speechly and become the new EFC Welterweight champion.

Prediction

I believe Jakobi will have the slight advantage in the stand-up and will use this to pressure Speechly aggressively at the start, this fight however, is going to the ground one way or another. Speechly will use his superior ground skills to maintain control and finish Jakobi via submission. Winner – Adam Speechly via rear naked choke in the first.

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Adam Speechly vs Nolan Swanepoel EFC 08 Title fight

At EFC Africa 08, Adam Speechly and Nolan Swanepoel entered the EFC Hexagon with a mutual goal - to become the first EFC Africa welterweight champion. Both Speechly and Swanepoel earned their title shot with an impressive 3-1 EFC record. The two fighters had previously fought at EFC Africa 04, where Adam Speechly won via first round rear-naked choke submission.

Adam Speechly vs Nolan Swanepoel - EFC 08 promo video

Nolan Swanepoel vs Adam Speechly - EFC Africa 08 title fight

The first ever welterweight title fight started slowly, the first three minutes of which were fairly uneventful. Speechly seemed to be the more aggressive of the fighters, attempting some combinations which eventually ended in a clinch. The two fighters vied for position for in a clinch for what seemed an age, landing the occasional ineffective shot, before Speechly attempted a Guillotine choke, which Swanepoel avoided. Speechly would attempt a second Guillotine choke seconds later, as well as various other other submissions before the bell saved Swanepoel from a precarious position.

Round two was over before it began, as Adam Speechly quickly locked in a Guillotine choke on Nolan Swanepoel from standing, and took it to the ground to earn the tap and the EFC Africa welterweight title.

Adam Speechly vs Nolan Swanepoel EFC 08 fight video

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