JP Kruger to fight for EFC world title
“This is my time, I will keep the title in South Africa.”
Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) announced today (Wednesday) that Springs’ JP ‘Tinkerbell” Kruger (29) is set to face Poland’s Rafal ‘Polish Tank’ Haratyk (28) in the EFC 49 hexagon to battle it out for the world EFC middleweight title.
This will be the main card fight at Carnival City on May 14.
In a statement issued this morning, EFC president Cairo Howarth announced that current titleholder, and fellow South African, Liam Cleland is retiring due to advice received from doctors during his last post fight medical examination.
His retirement leaves the middleweight division without a titleholder – a role JP is more than willing to step into.
JP, who runs House of Tinkerbell Kickboxing and MMA Academy in Springs, was due to fight Cameron ‘Ginger Ninja’ Meintjies on March 5 but says he received a call from EFC three weeks ago asking to see him in person.
When he arrived at the meeting they informed him that Cameron had pulled out of the fight but said they had great news for him.
“They said Liam Cleland was retiring and they were just waiting for the final details to issue the press release.
“Then they said Rafal Haratyk, the ‘Polish Tank’, is the number one contender and the last guy to beat Liam was me, shortly before my accident which left me injured 18 months ago, so they offered me the fight against Rafal” JP says.
With Liam’s spot now being vacant the organiser’s, according to Tinkerbell, saw this as the perfect pairing for an action-packed fight to keep the fans happy.
JP says: “They believe that I’m the guy who the fans want to see back in there, on my home ground, and that I am the guy who deserves this fight against the Polish Tank.
“Both of us are number one contenders and this is going to be the big fight.”
Liam seems to agree on this pairing saying, in the statement issued by the EFC announcing his retirement: “The first and most obvious contender is Rafal Haratyk.
“He earned his shot already last year, a fight I really wanted to test myself in.
“The second guy is the last man to beat me, the loveable ginger JP Kruger.
“He is super deserving of this fight, having only ever lost once in his career against ‘Soldierboy’ (Garreth McLellan) in a championship bout.”
He and his manager James Read, of XKT Pro League, agree that it will come down to skill, “And we already know who that will be because this is his time,” says James.
Asked how long the fight will last, JP says: “I’m coming in to finish. I’m not coming in to fight five rounds.
“Everyone knows it and I’ve made it no secret – the press can know it, Rafal can know it, in fact I’ll probably phone him and tell him myself – I’m looking to stand with him.
“From what I have seen of Rafal, he’s a tough guy and I think he also likes to stand and trade leather so I really think we are going to keep up our hands and really appels swaai.”
He says that although he wants to trade punches, he is an all-round fighter, training in all aspects of MMA so he’ll be ready for whatever Rafal brings to the hexagon.
“I think both of us have what it takes to finish this fight so the first one to slip up is going to be the one paying at the end of the day and I’m going to train hard and make sure it’s not me.
“I do believe I’m going up against a classy opponent – he is classy inside the ring and out – who is a true professional and he is very good.
“I’m preparing to face the best and I’m going to make sure I’m better,” he says.
JP says he has this message for Rafal: “May the Lord Jesus bless his camp, he should stay safe and train hard because come May 14 I’m coming to play hard.”
Addressing his home crowd advantage, Jp says he is training to face the best in the world and believes, at this level of competition, mentally Rafal will be strong, and mature, enough to not let this affect him.
“However, for me home ground, with my friends and my family in the crowd, it’s like adding a super power.
“It makes me feel like I can hit faster and stronger and makes me feel more explosive.”
“If the fans should know one thing it is that the cage is my pulpit and I’m coming to preach the gospel. I’m coming to praise Jesus.”
As always, JP gives credit to those who support him including Raymond Phillips from XKT, his striking coach; Huntley Smith from Arte Suave Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who is his grappling coach; Chris Bright from Pesfa for all round coaching; CrossFit RaG for his conditioning coaching, and James.
