Kabesa defends featherweight title
He now cements himself as one of the greatest champions in EFC history.
The Congo’s Igeu Kabesa (12-1) defended his EFC featherweight title for the sixth time at EFC 79 on Saturday, May 4, against Croatia’s Karlo Caput (8-1). In addition, Zimbabwe’s Themba Gorimbo (7-2) defeated Brazil’s Jose Da Rocha (10-5) to secure himself a welterweight title shot.
Caput entered the bout with an impressive undefeated 8-0 record, and a sensational five second knockout at his last outing. The featherweight champion Kabesa, with only one defeat in his career, was confident throughout the build up to the bout, and backed his word inside the fight.
Caput began by pressuring the champion with punches. Kabesa circled, and at just over the one minute mark, connected with a calculated overhand right that crumpled Kaput to the canvas.
Kabesa’s victory was brutal and decisive. He now cements himself as one of the greatest champions in EFC history.
The first round of the Grand Prix to determine the organisation’s new welterweight champion kicked off with Zimbabwe’s Themba Gorimbo returning after almost two year’s absense, to face Brazil’s Jose Da Rocha.
The first round featured a blizzard of leather with both men throwing punches. Da Rocha landed the more telling blows, but Gorimbo made use of his own speciality by tying the Brazilian up in the clinch and controlling the fight there. However, Da Rocha had Gorimbo in deep trouble in the last ten seconds, head-hunting a wobbling Gorimbo who was saved by the bell.
No doubt aware of potentially having lost the first round, Gorimbo immediately took the Brazilian down in the second and controlled the fight on the ground, landing regular strikes to almost certainly make it a round a-piece going into the third.
Gorimbo stuck to his winning formula, controlling the fight on the ground to take a decisive decision victory, and the chance to move on to the final to determine the new EFC welterweight champion.
The official EFC 79 results are as follows:
Tommy Strydom defeated Given Majuba via TKO (strikes) 3:35 into round 1.
Themba Mkhize defeated Corne Blom via tap out (guillotine choke) 2:14 into round 1.
Roevan de Beer defeated Hishaam Kamish via tap out (rear naked choke) 3:34 into round 1.
Rocky Ilunga defeated Elvis Ngwalangwala via unanimous decision.
Nico Yamdjie defeated Juan Bezuidenhout via TKO (strikes) 1:08 into round 1.
Faeez Jacobs defeated Billy Oosthuizen by KO 4:09 into round 1.
Reinaldo Ekson defeated Tumisang Madiba via tap out (guillotine choke) 0:35 into round 2.
Stefan Pretorius defeated Khulekani Hlongwa via TKO (strikes) 3:01 into round 1.
Anicet Kanyeba defeated Pietie Coxen via TKO (strikes) 3:14 into round 1.
Themba Gorimbo defeated Jose Da Rocha via unanimous decision.
Igeu Kabesa defeated Karlo Caput via knockout 1:03 into round 1, to retain his EFC World Featherweight Title.
EFC 80 Mclellan vs Lesar, TF2 Finale takes place on Saturday, June 29, at Carnival City.
