Words & Photo: Struan Campbell
Cape Town witnessed an unforgettable night of MMA when local superstar Don Madge and Johannesburg favourite Boyd Allen faced off in a superfight this evening. Their meeting promised a spectacular showing, and delivered even more at a sold out GrandWest Grand Arena.
Madge was initially slated to face lightweight champion Lion Mynardt for his title, but Mynhardt had to pull from the fight with a groin injury. Allen, the number one featherweight contender was contacted and eagerly accepted the bout at a catchweight of 69kg.
Their clash started at a frenetic pace with scintillating striking from both men, and did not let up over the full five, main event rounds. By the fourth both were streaming blood but still sending out crisp combinations, Madge perhaps the fresher of the two.
It was the judges that finally had to set the difference between them and scored the bout a split draw. Many would have felt that Madge did enough to win the fight, but all would agree that it was incredibly close, and an example of pure skill that will go down in the history of African MMA.
Irshaad Sayed returned to the city of his birth after eight years with two world titles and the Chinese MMA title under his belt. Johannesburg’s Charlie Weyer came flying out of his corner at the buzzer, shocking Sayed with multiple punches landing flush. Sayed shook them off and went to work, taking Weyer down and incapacitating him with brutal knees from side control. Sayed coolly took his back and sunk in a winning rear naked choke.
“I want to be the best,” said Sayed in his interview after. “Pena is fighting Zulu for the bantamweight title in July, I hope I can fight the winner, back here in Cape Town!”
Brendon Groenewald took on Africa’s boxing champion, Elvis ‘The Bomber’ Moyo, for the heavyweight number one contender spot. Groenewald, an acknowledged ground specialist, made his intentions clear before the fight.
“He’s a lethal striker, I won’t be playing a game with him, I will take him down,” he said.
Moyo showed massive improvement with his ground defense, but was unable to withstand his opponent’s experience. Groenewald carefully avoided Moyo’s brutal striking power, took ‘The Bomber’ down, and put him away with relentless ground and pound.
Marcel Teniers entered his third Hexagon appearance with a wave of expectation behind him. On the back of strong performances and still undefeated, David Buirski offered Teniers a solid step up in the division. Buirski was too strong. He ate a huge right hand initially, before taking Teniers down and grinding him out with a blizzard of strikes.
Teniers was unhappy with the stoppage and a scuffle broke out in the Hexagon because of it, causing him to be escorted out to boos from the crowd.
Muyambo vs. Kabesa kicked off the evening’s main card in a match-up with deep history. Kabesa had a score to settle with Cape Town’s Muyambo who was fresh from a victory over his brother Texier Kabesa, and did so clinically. Kabesa out played Muyambo with a strong wrestling game that stifled the local.
The evening’s awards were spread evenly across the main and prelim card. Nathan Fredericks, Sindile Manengela, Tshilomba Mulumba and Anthony Mailer all were awarded performance bonuses, Mailer also bagging the submission of the night award for his rear naked choke victory over Mulumba. The knock out of the night went to the debutant from the DRC, Knife Didier Kilola, who knocked the legendary Ricky Misholas out in the first round. The fight of the night award went to Don Madge and Boyd Allen.
EFC AFRICA 30 full results are:
Nathan Fredericks defeated Sindile Manengela via TKO 2:05 into round 3.
Anthony Mailer defeated Tshilomba Mulumba via submission (RNC) 3:58 into round 2.
Champion Dalcha defeated Roelof Scheepers via verbal submission 0:59 into round 1.
Shaun de Lange defeated Saxon Delafield via TKO 3:23 into round 1.
Knife Didier Kilola defeated Ricky Misholas via KO 1:44 into round 1.
Sibusiso Mdoko defeated Alain Ilunga via TKO 3:39 into round 2.
Gordon Roodman and Bruno Mukulu fought to a unanimous draw.
Igeu Kabesa defeated Regis Muyambo via TKO 2:40 into round 2.
David Buirski defeated Marcel Teniers via TKO 4:05 into round 1.
Brendon Groenewald defeated Elvis Moyo via TKO 4:22 into round 1.
Irshaad Sayed defeated Charlie Weyer via submission (RNC) 3:45 into round 1.
Don Madge and Boyd Allen fought to a split draw.
EFC AFRICA 31, presented by BetXchange.com, returns to the Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg, on Thursday 03 July 2014. Tickets on sale at www.computicket.com. Book your cinema ticket to all fights live and in HD at www.sterkinekor.com. Watch the entire event live, from anywhere on the globe, via online streaming at www.efcafrica.tv.
About EFC AFRICA® – The Extreme Fighting Championship®
Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, EFC AFRICA 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 AFRICA showcases the greatest warriors on the continent. EFC AFRICA events are broadcast live in over 110 countries around the world on nine television networks in multiple languages, as well as live and in HD in Ster-Kinekor cinema theatres through South Africa. EFC AFRICA 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 AFRICA DVD’s, branded merchandise and clothing and equipment ranges.
