Buys punches above his weight
“To be able to walk out of the cage once again without injury is great.”
It was a display of sheer confidence and outright ruthlessness from Benoni fighter JP Buys, in his bantamweight clash with Abdul “Hollywood” Hassan, at EFC 49, in Carnival City’s Big Top Arena, on the night of Friday, May 13.
The former Brakpan Wrestling Club champion stepped up to the heavier bantamweight division from flyweight and opened up a world of possibilities in the EFC organisation, with a first round TKO win (punches) in two minutes and six seconds over the seasoned veteran, Hassan.
The victory means that Buys continues to build a case for a title shot in either the lighter flyweight or bantamweight divisions.
“I feel that I am now the number one contender in both divisions,” he told the Herald.
“I should face someone for the title in either the flyweight or bantamweight divisions now.”
The 20-year-old ensured that his winning ways in his home hexagon at Carnival City continued, with his third professional win at the Big Top Arena (his only professional defeat came against Baldwin Mdlalose, in Durban, last year).
On the morning of Monday, May 16, Buys was already in the Fight Fit Militia (FFM) gym, preparing for his next bout. “I feel really blessed after the fight,” he said.
“To be able to walk out of the cage once again without injury is great.”
Asked about the atmosphere on Friday night, he replied: “Man, it was awesome.
“Walking out in front of my home crowd was unbelievable.
“To have so many people cheering my name was just amazing.”
Buys certainly showed an array of skills and was superior in all aspects of his game against Hassan.
He believes that the daily hard work put in with his FFM team made the difference on Friday night.
“My self-belief was too strong for him and he didn’t want to be in there,” he said.
In his pre-fight press conference, Buys said that his 38-year-old opponent would underestimate him and the young fighter believes that was the case in the bout.
“He didn’t realise who and what I am about,” he explained.
“He started breaking from the first moment he stared into my eyes.”
Buys praised his fans, family, sponsors and management team for always backing him.
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Incredible start to the fight year
