EFC Africa 15 delivered quality performances by the heaps and EFC Africa history was made as the first EFC Africa light heavyweight champion was crowned…
Lance Ceronio vs. Mahmoud Salama (Lightheavyweight) – [Winner: Ceronio via rear naked choke]
Ceronio had taken a very long hiatus from the hexagon and many wondered how ring rust would affect his performance. Fortunately for him, the layoff had no effect on him as he sunk in a rear naked choke on Salama in the second minute.
JC Lamprecht vs. Hector Britts (Welterweight) – [Winner: Lamprecht via keylock]
Both men sought to impress in their EFC Africa debuts. Britts started strong with a takedown but after some reversals Lamprecht sunk in a fight-ending keylock.
Boyd Allen vs. Alain Ilunga (Featherweight) – [Winner: Allen via tap out due to strikes]
Allen and Ilunga made successful debuts at EFC Africa12 and EFC Africa 14 respectively, but unfortunately only one of them was going to keep their winning streak alive. In round 1, Ilunga got a takedown and Allen looked for a triangle. They got back up and worked some clinch. In round 2 Allen took Ilunga down and rained down some vicious ground and pound forcing Ilunga to tap out.
Francois Kabulu vs. David Buirski (Welterweight) – [Winner: Kabulu via unanimous decision]
Kabulu appears to be the Josh Koscheck of EFC Africa with regards to him taking fights on late notice. Filling in for an injured Nolan Swanepoel, he locked horns with Buirski. Round 1 had both men exchanging strikes and the round closing with Kabulu attempting a guillotine. Round 2 saw Kabulu peppering Buirski with kicks and punches. He kicked Buirski off his feet and grinded from inside his closed guard. In round3, after serving up some leg kicks, Kabulu took down his foe and once again grinded from inside the guard and even half guard. Buirski looked for a guillotine and late triangle but it was not enough for Kabulu to not get the nod.
Liam Cleland vs. Tumelo Maphutha (Middleweight) – [Winner: Cleland via DQ]
Cleland and Maphutha were coming off back after losses so they both were forced to compete with the burden of added pressure. Cleland got tagged early with a stiff jab but soon took over and put a jiu-jitsu clinic on Maphuta for two rounds and also delivered some great solid ground and pound. In both rounds Maphuta was saved by the bell as Cleland was seconds away from sinking in a rear naked choke. In round 3, Cleland looked gassed and was unable to get the fight to the mat as Maphuta seemed to be getting stronger and shucked off the takedown attempts. Unfortunately, Maphuta delivered an illegal kick to the head on a downed Cleland and the referee called the fight with Cleland getting a win via DQ.
Chett Meyer vs. Donavin Hawkey (Middleweight) – [Winner: Hawkey via guillotine choke]
Incidentally this was Meyer’s first fight at middleweight. He came out aggressively but after getting blasted on the feet by Hawkey, he shot in for a takedown. Immediately Hawkey sunk in a guillotine that put Meyer to sleep.
Andrew van Zyl vs. Mohamed Karim (Heavyweight) – [Winner: van Zyl via TKO]
Van Zyl was looking to rework his way up the heavyweight ladder, to do that he would have to get through Karim. After putting a jiu-jitsu clinic on Karim, van Zyl pounded Karim for a TKO stoppage.
Dino Bagattin vs. Martin van Staden (Welterweight) – [Winner: van Staden via D’Arce choke]
A war of words finally came to rest as Bagattin took on van Staden which turned out to be a crisp technical duel. A competitive fight displayed both men’s high level striking skills. Going into the third round, it could have been a round a piece. In the third round, van Staden landed a takedown and sunk in a D’Arce choke to win by submission. Their spectacular performance won Fight of the Night.
Leon Mynhardt vs. Alex Cheboub (Lightweight) – [Winner: Mynhardt via guillotine choke]
Cheboub came under scrutiny after missing weight for the second time in a row. It was all Mynhardt when it was fight-time. In round 1, Mynhardt butchered Cheboub with vicious kicks. The toll of the strikes was resonated by Cheboub’s grimaces. In round 2, Cheboub was forced to tap out after he shot for a takedown and got stuck in a guillotine. Mynhardt was awarded Submission of the Night.
Tyron Rightford vs. Darren Daniel (Middleweight) – [Winner: Daniel via TKO]
Bad blood had been brewing for months with both men taking pot-shots against each other on social media. In round 1, they worked from the clinch but Daniel got the takedown and landed some ground ‘n pound. In round 2 Daniel took down Rightford again and worked some solid ground ‘n pound until the referee stopped the fight and Daniel got the TKO victory. A solid victory for Daniel’s return to EFC Africa.
Raymond Ahana vs. Jason Culverwell (Lightheavyweight) – [Winner: Culverwell via TKO]
Round 1 was back and forth with their striking. Culverwell jumped guard and went for an armbar but Ahana defended well. In round 2 Culverwell was more aggressive and got a takedown and attempted an armbar and even a triangle. In round 3, Culverwell came out with some hard punches and took Ahana down. He then mounted Ahana and landed numerous strikes until the referee stopped the fight, giving him a TKO victory.
Garreth McLellan vs. Armand de Bruyn (Middleweight) – [Winner: McLellan via rear naked choke]
McLellan was originally slated to face Jeremy Smith, but due to him pulling out, de Bruyn stepped up to the plate. McLellan may as well entered this fight wearing a hockey mask as he came out with very bad intentions. He bull-rushed de Bruyn, took him down and forced him to tap out with a rear naked choke.
Norman Wessels vs. JP Joubert (Lightheavyweight Title Fight) – [Winner: Joubert via TKO]
In the main even Wessels and Joubert duked it out for the status of the first EFC Africa light heavyweight champion. In round 1 it was all Wessels who put a vicious beating on Joubert with some solid ground ‘n pound and solid strikes. By close of the first round, Joubert looked like he was done and completely out of gas. In round 2 Wessels appeared to have slowed down. Round 2 was like a scene from Rocky. Joubert went on pure heart and turned it up coming out aggressive and Wessels soon found out he had a fight on his hands. After some back and forth action, Joubert TKO’d Wessels with some vicious hooks and uppercuts to become EFC Africa’s first light heavweight champ. Joubert’s sterling effort won him, Knockout of the Night.
Photos by Ruby Wolff/EFC Africa
