The Angolan native is set to face the DRC’s Didier ‘Iron Man’ Nyembwe in their middleweight fight in the night’s opening act.
As the build-up to EFC’s last event of the year intensifies, Luindula, a member of the Junkyard MMA gym in Atlasville who trains seven days a week, took time off his busy schedule to speak to the Advertiser.
Congratulations on signing with the EFC, how long is your contract?
Six fights, but I believe after my fourth fight, I would’ve had four straight victories and I will be going for the title. I’m not there (EFC) to take part, I’m there to take over.
What does signing with EFC mean to you?
I could’ve signed with EFC a long time ago. It was about getting a good gym and a good, passionate trainer who knew what he’s doing and I found one in Ferdinand Basson at the Junkyard MMA gym. I want to leave a legacy and to show the world what I’m capable of.
What is Patrick Luindula the fighter all about?
First, let me start with Patrick Luindula the person. As a person Patrick is a single father of a 10-month-old daughter who goes by the name of Bernice Macaia Jorgina Luindula – she’s named after my mother.
‘God of War’ on the other hand, loves to train and fight; he is always willing to back up his words. I’m God of War inside the ring. I’m a totally different person, but after the fight, you can hug me or take a pic with me and I’ll give you a smile.
I understand that this is your professional debut, could you briefly take me through the stages you had to go through in your career to get to this point?
They call it professional because you get paid and at amateur level you don’t. Yes, you’ll get your medals and trophies here-and-there but you don’t get paid. The word debut is just a formality. I’ve actually been in the game for over seven years. When I get into that ring Nyembwe will realise he’s facing a champion.
What are you looking forward to the most in your debut fight?
I just want to hit Nyembwe. I want to give him an excuse to quit and I want to give everyone in the middleweight division a reason to gym twice as hard.
What are your short term and long term ambitions for EFC?
I don’t do short term goals because I believe that’s limiting yourself. As for long term, it’s to have faith. Only God knows your destiny and how far you will go. I want to dominate EFC so much that I want people to be scared to fight me. I want to hold on to the middleweight title for so long that they would want to pay me to relinquish it.
How did your interest in MMA start?
I’ve been a bully my whole life: from Grade One to tertiary. I remember being involved in a fight at Gandhi Square and I beat this guy to a pulp. I remember him standing up after every knockdown, but he kept getting back up and I beat him more and more. Then one day I came across the same guy and I thought he was coming back for more. I was surprised that he would come back for more but he was actually coming to extend an invitation to his gym. I later found out that this guy was a welterweight champion. He actually looked for me after the fight, that’s how badly I beat him.
You’re scheduled to face Nyembwe of course, do you know anything about him and how do you see yourself faring against him?
I know he’s from the Congo. I know Congolese, they’re very egotistic and they think they can beat everyone. Well I’m going to beat him for his whole country to see. I want to beat him so hard that people in his country feel it. I’m going to give him his beating and a national beating.
What do you do outside MMA?
I love the sport so much, that I feel distracted whenever I attempt to do something else. I’m an information systems engineer and a business management graduate but I’m not interested in doing anything related to either of the two. My family has been against my decision but this is what I love.
Are there other sports you take part in, in a professional capacity?
I love basketball – played it for over 10 years; we’d play under any conditions, even in a storm. I used to take part in dunk competitions and have been an MVP (most valuable player) three times. An ex-girlfriend of mine ended my basketball career, however. I was at a dunking competition and as I was in the air on the way to making a dunk, she knocked me over with her bike in a bitter act and I landed on both my knees. That kept me out of sport for a very long time and I had to do a lot of physio therapy and visits to doctors. It subsequently ended my basketball dream. I’d actually be still playing basketball now.
How did the God of War nickname come about?
A kid in the crowd at my first MMA fight was wearing the God of War game T-shirt and as I was doing my entrance, he told me that I looked like God of War. After the fight he said to me, “You even fight like God of War”. So when the commentator asked me what my nickname was during a post-match interview, I said God of War and that’s how it took off.
What can MMA fans expect come EFC 46?
I’m here not only for myself but for them too. I’m here to please them, win or lose, they will sit on the dinner table and talk about my fights. I’m here for war, every fight will be a war, win or lose.
Following the interview, Luindula thanked his sponsors as well as his management including Ferdinand Basson (Junkyard MMA Gym), Thinus du Plessis (Snake Eyes Athlete Management) and Brad Harris (360 Degrees Fitness). – @SabeloBoksburg
