Local MMA club Coalition Grappling Academy’s (CGA) top fighter, Zhane Tannous, showed his mettle when he won the SA Light Heavyweight Amateur MMA championship in Boksburg last week.
Tannous had to play his cards right against various opponents to take the title during this SA Championship event from 21 to 24 July.
He defeated Darius Classe via submission with a devastating armbar only 50 seconds into the first round of the semi-final. In the final, Tannous beat Muhammad Mall by TKO (technical knockout) early in the second round to take gold. “Muhammad represented SA at the Youth Worlds in Abu Dhabi last year and was a skilled opponent. My game overwhelmed him, though. I was dominant on the ground and landed some pretty harsh ground and pound that made the ref stop the fight, declaring me the winner by TKO,” explained Tannous.
This young fighter also waxed lyrical about CGA and his trainer, EFC fighter Roevan de Beer, and his fitness coach, Charles Mohaneng at Charles Fitness. “I urge everyone wanting to learn self-defence, submission wrestling, MMA or have fun to join CGA. It’s a great sport, and we have a great team and a great coach,” he stated. De Beer also emphasised that Tannous has a strong work ethic.
“He trains hard, listens to advice and has a natural feel for the sport.”
Tannous had to compete in Gauteng colours because North West did not have a team for the SA Championships. His journey to the SA title began in earnest in January when he won the AMM light heavyweight title.
In April, Tannous competed at the IMMAF African Championship and came second – in hindsight, this was the perfect opportunity to learn lessons from the defeat. “In the final, I lost to a very aggressive and skilled opponent. But that loss was a lesson that needed to be learnt. I got back to work immediately to prepare for the SA nationals,” he said.
“World Sports Betting played a significant role in paying for the fighting kit and other necessities for the SA Championships. I m very grateful for that,” ended Tannous.
