Fighter dominates in the octagon
Mixed martial arts fighter Nkalipho Hlongwane won his bout against Etienne Koen in the flyweight division, earning him a gold medal at the MFC 130.
NKALIPHO Hlongwane, a mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete from CombatCoaching.com, won his fight at the MFC 130 in Durban recently, earning himself a gold medal.
There was non-stop action at the Greyville Convention Centre as over 28 of South Africa’s best fighters went toe-to-toe in the octagon on the night.
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The 22-year-old won his bout against Etienne Koen in the flyweight division after his opponent tapped out during a triangle choke.
“This win meant everything. I feel that it’s the win I needed to boost the morale – not only mine but my team’s. It was to honour my coach for everything he does for me,” said Hlongwane.
Coach Morné Swanepoel congratulated him and his other three Durban-based athletes. “Amazing performance by our team, winning three out of our four fights at South Africa’s most prestigious amateur MMA tournament. Nkalipho ignited his career with an amazing winning performance,” he said.
The athlete from Adams Mission has been doing MMA for about two years now.
“After watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for the first time, I was immediately attracted to the sport as it was something I had never seen before. Growing up, I was never confident in my own strength, and I felt this was something that would build my confidence. I love the high intensity that it brings,” he said.
Hlongwane’s goal is to build from this win and one day become a champion at the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC).
“I know that by training with one of the best coaches in the world, my dreams will come true,” he said.
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