Pretoria fighters excel at EFC tournament
Local fighters from Pretoria – and specifically two attached to the CIT gym in Hatfield – impressed with the way they won tough fights at last week's EFC 106 tournament.
The EFC 106 tournament of the South African mixed martial arts organization, Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), which took place in Johannesburg last week, produced positive results for some local participants from Pretoria.
One of the veterans of the sport, JC Lamprecht, celebrated his return to the spotlight with a good win in his title fight for the EFC light-heavyweight title.
Lamprecht was forced to dig deep from a series of hellacious onslaughts from Mzwandile Hlongwa.
The global star from KwaZulu-Natal took the fight to the veteran of the CIT gym in Hatfield, Pretoria, with an unorthodox countering game plan involving lateral movement and a low guard, baiting his forward-footed foe into the pocket.
Photo: Dirk Heyns
As the fight wore on, the effect of Hlongwa’s leg kicks began to accumulate with Lamrpecht struggling to support his weight, yet continuing to push forward though the pain.
In the second round, ‘Snakebone’, as Hlongwa is known, was able to utilise his superior striking to knock his opponent down to the canvas and follow up with powerful ground and pound, which Lamprecht was incredibly able to survive, though he was undoubtedly saved by the hooter at the close of the round.
Once the third round commenced, Lamprecht found himself again on his back with Hlongwa inside his guard, from which the Pretorian was able to secure a guillotine choke to take the tap against all odds and send the packed-out crowd at the EFC Performance Institute into rapture to become the new 205lb champion of Africa.
Another local fighter from Pretoria, fan favourite Billy ‘The Kid’ Oosthuizen, was also forced to dig deep after Emmanuel Sita pressed forward immediately with strikes, putting the highly-vaunted boxer on the back foot as both athletes began to swing for the fences.
Photo: Dirk Heyns
In the second round the action continued apace with a well-placed knee from Oosthuizen being the most telling blow, opening a serious cut under Sita’s eye, knocking him down from which ‘The Kid’ forced the referee’s stoppage with devastating blows raining down.
His victory now sets the stage for a tantalising clash with the featherweight great, Igeu Kabesa some way down the road.
It was women’s week in South Africa, which impelled Dayne van Wyk and Mischka Laubscher to put on an action-packed display of striking, with Van Wyk – a teammate of Lamprecht at the CIT gym (also home to international stars such as Dricus du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman) – coming forward with a variety of stinging combinations of power, speed and accuracy. Laubscher was able to withstand this and even to reply with her own effective counters.
Van Wyk eventually took the unanimous decision win, the only main card bout requiring the judges arbitration, which now lines-up a fascinating clash with the current women’s bantamweight title-holder from Durban, Amanda ‘Mad Dog’ Lino.
OFFICIAL EFC 106 RESULTS:
Main Card
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
JC Lamprecht def Mzwandile Hlongwa by Tap Out due to Guillotine Choke Round 3 (4:17)
FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT
Billy Oosthuizen def Emmanuel Sita by Tap Out due to Strikes Round 2 (0:31)
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT
Dayne Van Wyk def Mishka Laubscher by Judges Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds
LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHT
Bradley Swanepoel def Robert Simbowe by Tap Out due to Guillotine Choke Round 1 (4:05)
FLYWEIGHT FIGHT
Godknows Ndlovu def Johannes Rudolph by Tap Out due to Strikes Round 2 (4:27)
Prelim Card
MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT
Kulekhani Hlongwa Roy Lokolo by Tap Out due to Rear Naked Choke Round 2 (4:31)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
Wade Henderson def Willem Smith by Tap Out due to Armbar Round 1 (0:53)
WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT
Christopher Matukane def Wallace Okosso by Judges Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds
BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT
Edson Machavane def Mpumelelo Mngoma by Tap Out due to Armbar Round 1 (3:55)
BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT
Sithembiso Hadebe def Sibusiso Sovendle by Judges Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds
PERFORMANCE BONUSES:
JC Lamprecht
Mzwandile Hlongwa
Billy Oosthuizen
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT:
Dayne Van Wyk and Mishka Laubscher
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