Don Madge takes the lightweight title at EFC AFRICA 20

The matchup between Ioannou and Madge was the most anticipated in African MMA history. Intense smack talk led up to the fight, with the champion intimating that Madge was not ready to face him. The bout delivered a different verdict. Admittedly unable to defend Ioannou’s takedowns, Madge challenged the champion’s famed ground game and beat him there. Over four rounds, Madge and Ioannou put on an incredible display of jiu-jitsu prowess, Madge slowly but surely taking the advantage and finally, in the fifth, submitting Ioannou with a rear naked choke.

 

Gideon Drotschie faced Danie van Heerden for the interim light heavyweight title, in a match which both seemed evenly matched. Drotschie took the fight to Van Heerden with stinging strikes, but soon changed his strategy in the face of Van Heerden’s looping power shots. On the ground, Drotschie dominated with a highly evolved arsenal, applying submission after submission as Van Heerden was slowly worn down. Drotschie put the final nail in Van Heerden’s coffin with a keylock in the third round.

 

The third main card matchup was between Garreth ‘Soldierboy’ McLellan and Tumelo Maphutha, a late replacement for an injured Liam Cleland, necessitating the bout to be fought at catchweight. Maphutha put on a terrifically powerful performance, hurting McLellan with massive punches, forcing Soldierboy to resort to the tactical approach of staying clear and ultimately winning through on points.

 

Former heavyweight champion Ruan Potts was scheduled to face Ricky Misholas as the night’s second main card bout but the fight had to be cancelled after Misholas pulled out with an injured hand. He was cleared to fight by medical staff but still declined to appear. Fans have been assured they can expect to see Ruan Potts in action at EFC AFRICA 21.

 

Alain Ilunga faced Markus Taljaard in the first main card bout of the evening. Ilunga immediately sent in powerful leg, body and head kicks, visibly hurting Taljaard, who refused to give in. Taljaard could not hold out for long, however, and 2:42 into the second succumbed to a triangle from Ilunga. Ilunga has now cemented himself as the number one threat in the featherweight division and will be watching champion Demarte Pena’s title defence against Abdul Hassan at EFC AFRICA 21 with interest.

 

The fight of the night award went to the lightweight title bout between Costa Ioannou and Don Madge. Knock out of the night went to Donavin Hawkey for his third round dispatching of Raymond Ahana, and submission of the night went to Gideon Drotschie for his keylock submission of Danie van Heerden.

 

EFC AFRICA 20 full results:

Matthew Buirski defeated Marino Cutendana via unanimous decision. 
Barend Nienaber defeated Kanyeba Anicet via submission (RNC), 02:09 into round 2. 
Chris du Pont defeated Charl Hurter via verbal submission, 1:22 into round 1. 
Charlie Weyer defeated Craig Ninow via unanimous decision.
Alex Cheboub defeated Sibusiso Mdoku via majority decision.
Donavin Hawkey defeated Raymond Ahana via KO, 03:38 into round 3 (KOTN). 
Juan Lubbe defeated Neil Diesel by verbal submission (did not answer the bell for the second).
Frederich Naumann defeated Johan van Staden via split decision. 
Alain Ilunga defeated Markus Taljaard via submission (triangle), 02:42 into round 2.
Ricky Misholas pulled out of his bout with Ruan Potts during the event, forcing their fight to be cancelled. 
Garreth McLellan defeated Tumelo Maphutha via split decision.

 

Gideon Drotschie defeated Danie van Heerden by submission (keylock), 04:05 into round 3.
Don Madge defeated Costa Ioannou via submission (RNC), 1:35 into round 5. 


 

EFC AFRICA 21, presented by MusclePharm, takes place on July 25. All 13 bouts can be seen live at Carnival City and at Nu Metro cinemas throughout South Africa. Tickets on sale now at www.computicket.com. Tickets for the live broadcast to Nu Metro Cinemas available soon at www.numetro.com.

 

Broadcast information and full fight card available at efcafrica.com

 

About EFC AFRICA™ – The Extreme Fighting Championship™

Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, EFC AFRICA™ now produces 10 live Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events annually, all hosted on the African continent. With over 100 athletes exclusively signed to the promotion from across the continent (Angola, DRC, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and more), EFC AFRICA is the biggest MMA promotion and showcases the toughest athletes on the continent.

 

EFC AFRICA™ events are broadcast to over 110 countries across the globe on 9 television networks in multiple languages. The live broadcast is available to over 130 million homes across Africa on SUPERSPORT, the continent’s largest sport network, as well as in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean on FIGHT NOW! TV, America's only 24-hour combat sports and entertainment channel. Live broadcasts of every event are available across Romania on free to air broadcaster Transilvania L!VE. Delayed live events are broadcast throughout Malaysia on MAX MAN TV.

 

The best bouts from every EFC AFRICA™ event fill up action-packed television episodes broadcast to 50 million homes in the USA on the CSI SPORTS network, throughout Europe and the Middle East on EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL and across Canada on FIGHT NETWORK as well as in Africa on FOX FX and SUPERSPORT.