Words by: Kieren Jacobsen
The home of African MMA got its first taste of EFC today, as hundreds of fans raised the roof when 22 of the continent’s greatest athletes converged on the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) for the official weigh-in of EFC 33.
Photo courtesy of: EFC
Electric weigh-in kicks off EFC 33
EFC Middleweight Championship
GARRETH MCLELLAN VS. DRICUS DU PLESSIS
AND
MARTIN VAN STADEN VS. JEREMY SMITH
PLUS
DONAVIN HAWKEY vs. BERNARDO MIKIXI
MICHIEL OPPERMAN vs. ARMAND DE BRUYN
WESLEY HAWKEY vs. BRENDON KATZ
TYSON CHELIN vs. MATTHEW BUIRSKI
JASON CULVERWELL vs. GARETH SAWYER
ABDUL HASSAN vs. GARETH BUIRSKI
SAXON DELAFIELD vs. DAVID VAN SCHALKWYK
MICHAEL VERMEULEN vs. IVAN STRYDOM
CRAIG NINOW vs. BALDWIN MDLALOSE
TEXIER KABESA vs. LUKE MICHAEL
SIZWE MNIKATHI vs. BILL THUSI
The event is headlined by the massively anticipated middleweight title fight between Durban’s born and bred champion, Garreth ‘Soldierboy’ McLellan, and the undefeated 20 year old sensation Dricus du Plessis, haliing from Pretoria. “No other fight matters, nothing else matters, but this one,” said the challenger in a pre-fight interview. He backed his words by pressuring the champion in their face-off, touching foreheads and flashing a trademark grin. McLellan, showing all the experience that losing and regaining the title has taught him, remained ice cold, finally breaking off when he was ready, a clear message to the young challenger. “He’s going to come out hard and aggressive, but we’ve prepared for that,” said McLellan in an interview with EFC commentator Dirk Steenekamp after. “…on fight night I’m going to be the monster in his head that he has to fight.”
Co-headlining the event is the equally massive bad blood rematch between Durban and African MMA legend Martin ‘The Punisher’ van Staden, and the notorious Jeremy ‘Pitbull’ Smith, hailing from Johannesburg. This bout is Smith’s first drop down to welterweight and he had no problem with the cut, hitting the scale ripped and ready. The men were cordial when finally facing off, no doubt the calm before a tropical storm.
Legendary Duban brothers Wesley and Donavin drew massive cheers from their home crowd. They hit the scale for their bouts with Brendon Katz and Bernardo Mikixi respectively. Mikixi, making his first cut down to light heavyweight, stunned all with a perfect drop, looking supremely conditioned and ready to fight.
Tomorrow night’s card is packed with the cream of Durban’s talent, a Durban native featuring in every bout but one. All athletes made weight. A perfect score and a reflection of the enthusiasm that all are feeling ahead of tomorrow’s historical night.
EFC 33 weigh-in results were as follows:
Bout 1 : Featherweight bout
Bill Thusi 63.90kg
Sizwe Mnikathi 66.00kg
Bout 2 : Lightweight bout
Luke Michael 69.70kg
Texier Kabesa 70.00kg
Bout 3 : Bantamweight bout
Baldwin Mdlalose 60.90kg
Craig Ninow 60.50kg
Bout 4 : Lightweight bout
David van Schalkwyk 70.00kg
Saxon Delafield 70.00kg
Bout 5 : Bantamweight bout - Cancelled
Abdul Hassan
Gareth Buirski
Bout 6 : Middleweight bout
Gareth Sawyer 83.75
Jason Culverwell 83.95kg
Bout 7 : Featherweight bout
Mathew Buirski 65.90kg
Tyson Chelin 65.50kg
Bout 8 : Featherweight bout
Brendon Katz 65.75kg
Wesley Hawkey 66.00kg
Bout 9 : Middleweight bout
Armand de Bruyn 83.55kg
Michiel Opperman 83.60kg
Bout 10 : Light heavyweight bout
Bernardo Mikixi 91.25kg
Donavin Hawkey 92.75
Bout 11 : Welterweight bout
Jeremy Smith 76.50kg
Martin van Staden 76.60kg
Bout 12 : Middleweight title bout
Dricus du Plessis 83.70kg
Garreth McLellan 83.65
EFC hits Durban for the first time with EFC 33, presented by BetXchange.com, at the Durban ICC, Durban, on Saturday 30 August 2014. Tickets on sale at www.computicket.com. Book your cinema tickets to view all fights live and in state of the art digital projection at www.sterkinekor.com. Watch the entire event live, from anywhere on the globe, via online streaming at efcafrica.tv.
About EFC® – The Extreme Fighting Championship®
Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, EFC is the African continent’s biggest, as well as a world leading, mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation. The Extreme Fighting Championship produces 10 live events annually and has sold out some of the biggest arenas in Africa. With over 120 athletes exclusively contracted to the organisation from countries such as Angola, the DRC, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and both sides of the Sahara desert, EFC showcases the greatest warriors on the continent. EFC events are broadcast live in over 110 countries around the world on nine television networks in multiple languages, as well as live and in state of the art digital projection atSter-Kinekor cinema theatres through South Africa. EFC programming is available weekly in 600+ million TV households worldwide, making it one of the most recognisable MMA brands on the planet. Leading retailers stock a full catalogue of best-selling EFC DVD’s, branded merchandise and clothing and equipment ranges.
