Local fighter surprises bookies favourite at EFC 93
Pretoria's latest EFC champion not only knocked out his opponent on Saturday, but also sent the referee to the canvas in a freak accident early in the fight.
Ziko ‘The Gorilla’ Makangele of the Brothers in Arms MMA Club in Brooklyn, Pretoria, surprised fans of the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) this past weekend when he was crowned as the new welterweight champion by knocking out one of the legends of the sport.
Makengele became the first person to ever knock-out Martin ‘The Punisher’ van Staden.
After two rounds of superior Hexagon control and displaying all the experience of a former champ, Van Staden was pulled into a firefight with Makangele and got caught with a massive overhand right and was sent crashing to the canvas.
Several follow-up shots were purely academic as referee Bobby Karagianiddis pulled off the Congolese Judoka who immediately threw up his arms in celebration.
Photo: Dirk Heyns
Van Staden shook his head in disappointment, understanding as consciousness returned immediately that he may have deviated from a gameplan to exit the pocket more rapidly.
‘The Punisher’ remains one of the greatest fighters in the history of African MMA, and his future will be closely watched by pundits and fans both at home and abroad.
As for the new champion, he credits his coach and camp, Conrad Seabi from Brothers in Arms in Pretoria as more deserving of the belt than he, but it cannot be underestimated how much a world title means to him. Continuing his undefeated streak and taking the gold in such impressive fashion, ‘The Gorilla’ looks set to usher in a new era of frightful dominance.
The fight will also be remembered for another unique freak accident. For the first time in African MMA history, there was a referee substitution after the first round, with Makangele inadvertently catching referee Wickus Swart with a left hook at the bell that sent the veteran arbiter to the mat. After being seen by EFC medical staff between rounds it was decided that Swart was unfit to continue which prompted the switch to experienced referee Karagianidis to oversee the remainder of proceedings.
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