NEW international stars were born at EFC 44 as Scotland’s Danny Henry and France’s Cyril Asker now both head north with their newly won EFC belts in tow.
EFC 44 took place in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday, October 3, at Carnival City’s Big Top Arena.
The main bout started as a timid affair but gathered pace midway through the first round and ultimately led to the two men struggling it out on the canvas. The skirmish on the mat was soon over after Andrew van Zyl gave Asker too much room. Asker pulled guard with the guillotine choke hold firmly set and the defending champion had no option but to submit.
The main event was preceded by Leon Mynhardt’s successful defence of his lightweight belt against a resilient Themba Gorimbo. The challenger shot early in the first round, which led to several close but unsuccessful attempts at an ankle lock. Gorimbo took Mynhardt’s back late in the first round, but the champion’s power allowed him to break his opponents grip relatively easily before the bell. The fight intensified in the second round as Gorimbo managed to land a vicious overhand right that rocked Mynhardt. Many felt his decision to shoot directly after landing the punch was the wrong one as the champ was clearly shaken. Mynhardt was presented with the opportunity to finish as Gorimbo left his neck exposed in the tussle. Much to the delight of the crowd, he duly capitalised to salvage South African pride on the night.
Boyd Allen’s loss to Henry will surely go down as the fight of the year after the Scotsman took to the seemingly unbeatable Allen. After a first round that saw Allen pick apart the challenger with a barrage of strikes, the Scotsman composed himself to change the course of the fight. Henry directed the fight to the ground in rounds two and three where he was more than a match for Allen. A highly technical exchange between the two athletes had the crowd in raptures, but the intensity seemed to get the better of Allen as he visibly gassed as the fight continued. In round four, Henry again managed to get the better of his opponent on the mat and closed out the fight with a series of strikes that led to stoppage by referee Brad Bloch.
Italy’s Micol De Segni completed the foreign invasion at EFC 44 with her unanimous victory over local favourite Danella Eliasov. The fight opened with De Segni dominating the stand up exchanges in the first round, and then cruising through rounds two and three with some clinical wrestling that showcased her tremendous technical ability in all facets of MMA.
The first fight on the main card was marred by what many feel was a questionable judge’s decision, as Peter Nyide lost to Oumpie Sebeko by split decision. The three rounds were action packed with heavy hands and some devastating kicks from both competitors. Many felt that Nyide was the righteous victor despite the judges’ call. When questioned on his thoughts, EFC president, Cairo Howarth, confirmed that both athletes would be paid their win bonuses in lieu of their great performances.
Fight of the Night was awarded to the featherweight title clash between Boyd Allen and Danny Henry. Performance bonuses were awarded to Horatius Alonu, Oumpie Sebeko and Peter Nyide.
