Yannick Bahati has SA fighting fans’ blood boiling
Private security has been arranged for the Englishman before EFC62 because of how local fans have been angered by his behaviour.
Yannick Bahati is not a popular man in South Africa. Photo: Anton Geyser/EFC Worldwide/Gallo Images.
The bad blood between Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) middleweight champion Yannick Bahati and South Africa will reach boiling point at EFC62 at Carnival City on Saturday night.
England’s Bahati will put his title on the line against local favourite, bantamweight champion Drikus du Plessis, who is aiming to be become the organisation’s first two-division champion.
Divisive comments from Bahati have angered local fans so much that EFC have decided to provide private security protection throughout Bahati’s media engagements in South Africa.
“We have been monitoring social media and fans have been incredibly vocal about their dislike for Yannick,” said EFC president Cairo Howarth.
“We’ve hired security to escort him around and make sure all the events run smoothly.”
Congo-born Bahati added fuel to the fire last Saturday at the official media day when he slapped Du Plessis in the face as they faced off for the public.
After much back-and-forth between the two athletes in the leadup to the biggest fight in EFC history, this was the first time they had come face-to-face.
When asked if he has just accepted the tag of being a villain when fighting in South Africa, Bahati said it’s a normal reaction.
“When I am with my son I am a different person, when I am with my friends I am a different person. When I am here I am different. This is just normal. Everyone has different characters depending on where you are.
“I am just being truly me. I have nothing to hide and I am comfortable with myself.”
Du Plessis – arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the EFC – is on a six-fight win streak and is the bookies’ favourite, despite being the challenger and the smaller man.
“The division is dead. The only fighter in the middleweight division is Yannick Bahati and that is why he has the belt. I will go out out there to get a real champ holding the title and bring that belt back to South Africa where it belongs,” Du Plessis said when asked why he had taken the decision to move up a weight-class.
Whatever the outcome on Saturday night, fans will be in for a spectacular display of mixed martial arts.
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