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By Nick Gordon

Sports Writer


Huge year looms for EFC Africa

Looking at the quality of the card for the first Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) Africa event of the year, it's clear that 2014 is going to be huge for the sport of mixed martial arts in the country.


A 13-bout card forms part of the entertainment at EFC 27 at Carnival City tonight and while the event is being headlined by the lightweight title clash between Leon Mynhardt and Frederich Naumann, there is every indication that it will be the clash between Nkazimulo Zulu and Charlie Weyer that could steal the show.

History will be made when Zulu and Weyer step into the hexagon for the first ever bantamweight title fight and browsing the various social media platforms over the last few weeks, it’s clear that opinions are firmly divided on who will become the fledgling division’s first champion.

There’s also the added complexity of the fact that the combatants used to be sparring partners when Weyer was also part of the team at Tapout Academy, but in the weeks building up to tonight’s showdown, he decided that a move to a new environment would be best.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for, what I’ve worked for,” a confident Weyer said at the weigh-in yesterday. “It’s been the best training camp ever and I’m winning this fight.”

In other main card bouts tonight, former light-heavyweight title challenger Fraser Opie makes a return against Tumelo Maphuta, while middleweights Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis and Donavin Hawkey are set for a striking war.

Heavyweights Vandam Mbuyi and Brendon Groenewald will be looking to advance their prospects of challenging for the recently vacated title when they meet in the first main card bout of the night.

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