MMA fighters take the smackdown to Ballito

Three fighters from Tiger/Crane MMA club made their way to Ballito on Friday, October 31, to participate in Africa Fight League (AFL) 22.

Hosted by Africa Fight League and White Buffalo Productions, the event showcased some of the best Mixed Martial Artists and kickboxing fighters in KwaZulu-Natal.

Davy Chuang was the first fighter from Tiger/Crane to enter the cage and faced Darren Stone from Animal MMA in a Light Heavyweight MMA bout. Despite Davy’s best efforrts, he lost the bout by means of knockout (TKO) in the first round.

“Although Davy lost his fight, he gained a lot of experience. It was only his second amateur fight, his first having been more than a year ago. As his coach I also learned a lot. We both now know where his weaknesses are and we can now work on improving them and be better prepared for the next event,” explained Tiger Crane coach, Sensei Frik Willemse.

The second Tiger/Crane student to enter the ring was Flippie Steyn. Flippie competed in a kickboxing bout against an opponent from Muay Thai MMA Boys, based in Durban. While Flippie did well in the first round, he lost the bout in the second round due to a TKO decision.

“Flippie has excellent kickboxing skills but he lacked stamina. We will have to improve on his fitness before he fights again,” commented Sensei Willemse.

The third and final contender from Tiger/Crane was Emile Janse van Rensburg, who was also scheduled to compete in a K1 Kickboxing bout. However, his match was cancelled after his opponent failed to produce a valid HIV certificate during the pre-fight medical examination.

“We were given the option of accepting the fight at our own risk, but as a coach my first priority is always the safety of my students. I had to make a tough decision by withdrawing Emile from the bout, but in the end I feel it was the correct decision,” explained Sensei Willemse.

One of the highlights of the event, was that the Newcastle fighters had the opportunity to meet South African Heavyweight boxing legend, Francois “The White Buffalo” Botha. Francois fought the likes of Mike Tyson and Sonny Bill Williams during his career as a heavyweight boxer. He also competed in K1 tournaments in Japan and is the owner of White Buffalo Productions that now promotes K1 Kickboxing in conjunction with Africa Fight League.

Anyone interested in MMA or K1 Kickboxing can contact Frik Willemse at 079 585 1181.