Kabesa holds onto his title
EFC featherweight champion Igeu Kabesa has smashed his way to a third title defence.
Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) featherweight champion Igeu Kabesa (11-1) has smashed his way to a third title defence, dismantling Scotland’s Calum Murrie (4-2) during the main event of EFC 74 at Carnival City on October 6.
The champion flew out of the starting blocks, putting the Scotsman under relentless striking pressure coupled with a strong clinch game against the fence. Murrie constantly threatened to pull guard, but Kabesa refused to enter the Scotsman’s jiu-jitsu game, resulting in Murrie hanging off of the champion for much of the round. A crunching Kabesa knee to Murrie’s chin ended the first round.
In the second round, Murrie’s guard pulling attempts nearly paid off with a flying armbar, but Kabesa defended and responded with a brutal hip throw to end the round, smashing the challenger’s head into the canvas.
The fight settled into the same clinch against the fence dynamic, punctuated by brutal strikes in open space from the champion. In the fourth, Kabesa landed a body kick that doubled the Scot over, followed with a hook that smashed his head back, and then his trademark spinning back elbow that had Murrie wobbling on his feet – but still the Scot kept coming.
The bout went five rounds. Kabesa showed himself to be a consummate champion, nullifying Murrie’s submission talents and dominating him with strikes and pressure against the fence. Kabesa defended his belt by unanimous decision.
Dusseldorf’s ‘German Tank’, Max Merten, entered the hexagon to face South Africa’s Conrad Seabi in the evening’s penultimate fight. Seabi is a proven striker, while Merten has yet to show the form that landed him a spot on season one of the reality television show The Fighter.
Seabi quickly took control with superior movement and punch volume. Merten threatened with an overhand right, but couldn’t compete with Seabi’s fluid angles, and a particularly punishing jab that snapped the German’s head back repeatedly.
Seabi settled behind his jab for the second round and then unloaded with sensational overhand right midway through the third, dropping Merten, and finishing him with ground and pound.
Zimbabwe’s Sylvester Chipfumbu made his return after his title contention loss to flyweight champion Nkazimulo Zulu, a fight that sent him to the surgeon’s table, and made a sensational comeback.
His opponent, Tumisang Madiba, came out swinging, landing punches which Chipfumbu absorbed and answered with stinging body kicks and repeated takedowns.
Madiba’s extreme aggression carried him to midway through the second round, where Chipfumbu landed a takedown and dominated with ground and pound to close out the round. The third opened with another attack from Madiba that Chipfumbu turned to a takedown and an immediate sinking of a rear naked choke, to take the fight.
Photo: Anton Geyser/EFC Worldwide/Gallo Images.
The official EFC 74 results are:
Benjimen Mukendi defeated Aly Kalambay via submission (guillotine) 2:08 into round 1.
Takunda Gorimbo defeated Danie Swart via TKO (punches) 1:54 into round 1.
Elvis Ngwalangwala defeated Robert Swanepoel 0:57 into round 3.
Billy Oosthuizen defeated Zwelebanzi Ngema 2:58 into round 3.
Rodrique Kena defeated Sifiso Ngcobo via TKO (punches) 1:38 into round 2.
Armand Scheepers defeated Pietie Coxen via submission (armbar) 4:08 into round 1.
Pierre Botha defeated Nerik Simoes via unanimous decision.
Cheyanne Vlismas defeated Karolina Wójcik via split decision.
Sylvester Chipfumbu defeated Tumisang Madiba via submission 0:26 into round 3.
Conrad Seabi defeated Max Merten via TKO (punches) 2:10 into round 3.
Igeu Kabesa defeated Calum Murrie via unanimous decision.
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