EFC 41 dominance: Pena improves professional record to 11-0
EFC 41 took place in front of a sold-out Big Top Arena at Carnival City on Saturday, July 11.
The energetic crowd was treated to a series of main event bouts that tested the athletes’ endurance to the limits. Together, the title bouts went the full distance ending in unanimous decisions in both.
The main event saw EFC bantamweight champion Demarte ‘The Wolf’ Pena defend his title against the confident Cedric Doyle.
Surprising many fans, Doyle nearly dropped the champion with a right hand in the opening round that opened up a cut above Pena’s eye.
This was the contender’s only real threat as the fight turned progressively in Pena’s favour. The Angolan picked off his opponent for the remaining four rounds and maintained his status as the most dominant champion in EFC’s history.
The co-main event of the evening saw Michiel Opperman and Liam Cleland vie for the vacant middleweight title. The bout began as a striking and clinching battle on the feet, which played to Opperman’s strengths.
The third round saw a change in tactic from Cleland, who took the bout to the mat where he managed to control his opponent for the closing three rounds to take the victory and claim the middleweight strap.
In the third bout on the main card, heavyweight Danie van Heerden secured a victory over Bernado Mikixi after the Angolan verbally submitted in the second round.
In a bout that lived up to the promise of heavy hands being thrown, unfortunately the gas tanks of the two athletes did not live up to their aggression.
A visibly spent Mikixi failed to stand after being separated by the referee and the bout was called in favour of van Heerden.
Lyle Karam and Mark Hulme’s bout turned out to be a technical showpiece.
Where many had predicted the clash to be a stand up war, with both athletes showing proficiency on the ground for the majority of the rounds.
Karam managed to edge Hulme in the aggression stakes and was awarded a unanimous victory.
Wesley Hawkey vindicated his recent decision to take tutelage under the watchful eye of Morne Swanepoel by claiming a first round submission victory over Tumisang Madiba. Hawkey showed a vastly improved all round game and proved a step too far for Madiba.
EFC 41 Results:
JP Buys defeated Josemar Octavio via rear naked choke 1:02 in round 1.
Cole Henning defeated Mario Ferriera via TKO 2:08 in round 1.
Anicet Kanyeba defeated Tyron Bester via TKO 3:40 in round 1.
Lourens Botes defeated Pieter de Klerk via armbar 1:39 in round 2.
Pierre Botha defeated Sindile Manengela via unanimous decision.
Oumpie Sebeko defeated Tshilomba Mulumba via TKO 1:41 in round 1.
Koba Iakobidze defeated Mthobisi Buthelezi via ankle lock 1:11 in round 1.
Jacqualine Trosee defeated Zita Varju via TKO 2:48 in round 2.
Wesley Hawkey defeated Tumisang Madiba via rear naked choke 4:57 in round 1.
Lyle Karam defeated Mark Hulme via unanimous decision.
Danie van Heerden defeated Bernardo Mikixi via verbal submission 2:56 in round 2.
Liam Cleland defeated Michiel Opperman unanimous decision.
Demarte Pena defeated Cedric Doyle via unanimous decision. – @SabeloBoksburg
