Breathtaking bouts at EFC 41

The spirited spectators were treated to a series of main event bouts that tested the athletes in the hexagon to the extreme limit of their endurance and abilities.

The two title fights on the evening went the full five-round distance, ending in unanimous decisions in both.

The main event saw EFC bantamweight champion Demarte “The Wolf” Pena defending his title against the confident Cedric Doyle.

Surprising many fans, Doyle nearly dropped the champion with a right hand in the opening round and 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, the gas tanks of the two athletes did not, unfortunately, 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 would be a stand-up war, both athletes showed 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 to be a step too far for Madiba.

Meanwhile, former Sherwood Gardens resident and Brakpan Wrestling Club champion JP Buys secured his first professional win, against Namibian Josemar Octavio, in the first fight on the preliminary card.

Before the fight, Buys said he expected his opponent to be a strong stand-up fighter and he was proven right when Octavio connected with a head kick that dropped the youngster early in the round.

Buys, however, recovered well and used his excellent wrestling skills to eventually get a first round win via rear naked choke, one minute and 22 seconds into the fight.

Full EFC 41 results:

• JP Buys defeated Josemar Octavio via rear naked choke 1:02 in round one.
• Cole Henning defeated Mario Ferriera via TKO 2:08 in round one.
• Anicet Kanyeba defeated Tyron Bester via TKO 3:40 in round one.
• Lourens Botes defeated Pieter de Klerk via armbar 1:39 in round two.
• Pierre Botha defeated Sindile Manengela via unanimous decision.
• Oumpie Sebeko defeated Tshilomba Mulumba via TKO 1:41 in round one.
• Koba Iakobidze defeated Mthobisi Buthelezi via ankle lock 1:11 in round one.
• Jacqualine Trosee defeated Zita Varju via TKO 2:48 in round one.
• Wesley Hawkey defeated Tumisang Madiba via rear naked choke 4:57 in round one.
• Lyle Karam defeated Mark Hulme via unanimous decision.
• Danie van Heerden defeated Bernardo Mikixi via verbal submission 2:56 in round two.
• Liam Cleland defeated Michiel Opperman via unanimous decision.
• Demarte Pena defeated Cedric Doyle via unanimous decision.