McLellan, Kruger neck-and-neck at weigh-in

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Headlining the fight card, iconic middleweight champion Garreth “Soldierboy” McLellan ignited the crowd with an ominous stare-down to unbeaten challenger, JP “Tinkerbell” Kruger.

“I’m ready to throw down, camp is over, it’s game time now,” said the champion, after confirming that smiles he and Kruger had exchanged at past media events, were long gone.

McLellan will go into the bout with a slight weight advantage as he hit the scale at 83.45kg, 50 grams heavier than the taller Kruger who clocked 83.40kg.

Elsewhere, Chris du Pont, who hit the scale at 94.95kg, will fight with a purse deduction for going over the 93kg light heavyweight limit.

The hugely anticipated rematch between heavyweights Vandam Mbuyi (DRC) and Brendon Groenewald (SA) had the crowd cheering as the big men shook hands cordially, a stark contrast to the end of their first encounter where Mbuyi suffered a disqualification after an illegal foul.

On tonight’s first main card bout, “King” Leo Gloss will go up against Cape Town-born Muay Thai “world” and Chinese champion, Irshaad Sayed, in their bantamweight showdown.

Gloss was the second athlete to surpass the weight limit, weighing in at 62.2kg, 1.2kg over the bantamweight cut-off. He too accepted a purse deduction to allow him to compete.

All athletes and officials wore a black armband in memory of deceased EFC Africa athlete Booto Guylain. The event is to be held in his honour.

EFC 28 weigh-in full results:

Bout 1 : Featherweight bout

* Lourens Botes 63.90kg

* Pierre Botha 63.90kg

Bout 2 : Middleweight bout

* Gareth Sawyer 83.80kg

* Pupanga Tresor 82.60kg

Bout 3 : Welterweight bout

* Marcel Teniers 76.20kg

* Wayde Sage 76.90kg

Bout 4 : Lightweight bout

* Regis Muyambo 69.30kg

* Texier Kabesa 69.95kg

Bout 5 : Heavyweight bout

* Sors Grobbelaar 118.80kg

* Elvis Moyo 118.50kg

Bout 6 : Lightweight bout

* Igeu Kabesa 70kg

* Pietie Coxen 69.80kg

Bout 7 : Featherweight bout

* Hanru Botha 65.70kg

* Alain Ilunga 65.80kg

Bout 8 : Middleweight bout

* Wade Henderson 83.50kg

*J ason Culverwell 83.70kg

Bout 9 : Bantamweight bout

* Leo Gloss 62.20kg. Gloss will compete with a purse deduction.

* Irshaad Sayed 60.80kg

Bout 10 : Heavyweight bout

*Brendon Groenewald 109.5kg

* Vandam Mbuyi 107.8kg

Bout 11 : Heavyweight bout

* Christophe Walravens 110.35kg

* Bernardo Mikixi 105kg

Bout 12 : Light Heavyweight bout

*Norman Wessels 92.90kg

* Chris Du Pont 94.95kg. Du Pont will compete with a purse deduction.

Bout 13 : Middleweight championship bout

* Garreth McLellan 83.45kg

* JP Kruger 83.40kg