‘It’s going to be a full on war for bragging rights on this one. There is more at stake than just a fight here – this is about being the best.’
This is how a Fightstar fighting championship describes the upcoming fight between the Potchefstroomers, Herman van der Westhuizen and Peace Nguphane.
The two former teammates will square off at the Graceland Casino in Secunda on Saturday. Both athletes have promised a show worth remembering. They are coming off losses at the last Fightstar event. Van der Westhuizen lost via armbar while Nguphane eventually got caught in a rear naked choke in the third round.
‘We both saw this fight coming. We discussed it and decided that it’s just business,’ said Nguphane.
There is tremendous respect between the two as they both readily explain that they are actually good friends.
‘It’s going to be an awesome fight, a lot of back,’ said Van der Westhuizen. He believes the fight is going to go down to the wire with a split decision a likely outcome.
‘It’s a different ball game fighting a friend. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Like I know Herman doesn’t like to be hit,’ said Nguphane, who is quick to point out that he prefers a standing striking battle.
‘I know where there are gaps in his game,’ Van der Westhuizen quips.
According to Roevan de Beer, Van der Westhuizen’s coach at Coalition Grappling Academy, it should be a good fight for both athletes.
‘They trained together but Herman is a different athlete since joining our team this year. This is a good test to see how each athlete has grown,’ he said.
Kobus Fourie who trains at Close Combat Solutions reiterates De Beer’s sentiment. ‘They’ve both grown as athletes so the fact that they’ve trained together won’t be a decisive factor,’ he said.
However, he does feel that both fighters will be giving 110 per cent to try and get the victory.
On paper, Nguphane is the more experienced fighter as he has fought nine times, including a title fight. Van der Westhuizen has despatched very tough opponents over his five-fight career. He has taken impressive scalps like Donald Mabusela and Alan Menhennet.
There is very little to separate the two athletes in a fight that has ‘fight of the night’ written all over it.
* On the same evening, Van der Westhuizen’s teammate, Francois Meyer, defends his lightweight title against the much-hyped Nkosi Ndebele.
