Johannesburg, South Africa – EFC Fight Night 2 is officially in the books!
The event exceeded its expectations of reshaping divisions within the promotion as well as providing the freshest intercontinental talent fighting for contention of championship gold. 24 of the fastest-rising fighters in the EFC took to the Hex to prove why they deserve to be a fighter on the roster of Africa’s leading fight promotion. Amongst those combattants, three fighters made their debuts at the event and slotted themselves into the EFC roster in dramatic fashion. As the night wore on, the action accelerated apace, building-up towards the phenomenal main event.
The historic bantamweight war shifted Fight Night into the combat stratosphere as both Gian Souza and Nkazimulo Zulu were determined to walk the talk that preceded the bout. Stakes were raised early in the first round as the Brazilian took the fight straight to Zulu with a series of combinations that resulted in a swelling that shut his right eye completely, exacerbated by a cut on the eyelid Just when fight fans thought the bout would end in a doctor stoppage, Zulu got back up and proved himself fit and ready to return to war and into the second round. ‘Patolino’, sensing the end being near, went into the second round with an agenda to shatter any hope that the Zulu Warrior still had.
But Zulu had other thoughts as he took the opportunity to show the heart of a true warrior and prove to fight fans around the world why he continues to be a mainstay in Africa’s leading promotion. But Souza however, was not willing to let Zulu get in the way of his first victory in Africa. Zulu kicked off the third round in style with a flying high knee that made the live crowd go wild. The two continuously matched each other up and were able to entertain both on the feet and on the ground, with Zulu taking the third and final round after a very tightly scored second. When the time for a decision came, fight fans were split as to who should get their hand raised. Ultimately, much like the crowd, the judges were split with the fight ended in a draw. Both athletes were not best pleased with the result. At the post-event press conference, EFC Matchmaker Graeme Cartmell assured the crowd that a rematch between the two was on the cards to decide once and for all, who earns the shot at Luthando Biko’s Flyweight title.
Below are the full results and performance bonuses.
OFFICIAL EFC FIGHT NIGHT 2 RESULTS:
BANTAMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Nkazimulo Zulu vs. Gian Souza ends in a Split Decision Draw (29-28 Souza, 29-27 Zulu, 28-28 Draw)
FEATHERWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
Bradley Swanepoel def. Tumisang Madiba via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
WOMEN’S CATCHWEIGHT FIGHT – 130LBS
Dayne van Wyk def. Peris Githeka via TKO (Strikes) – Round 2 (3:29)
FLYWEIGHT FIGHT
Gift Walker def. Dansheel Moodley via TKO (Strikes) – Round 1 (2:17)
BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT
Nicholas Hwende def. Eduardo Barros via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT
Pietie Coxen def. Wade Henderson via Submission (Strikes) – Round 2 (4:06)
LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHT
Tapiwa Katikati def. Guelor Sondi via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 2 (3:21)
FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT
Stephan de la Rey def. Zwelibanzi Ngema via KO (Knee Knockout) – Round 1 (1:30)
FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT
Guide Moyo def. Warren Richards via TKO (Strikes) – Round 1 (4:34)
FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT
Dylan Swanepoel def. Musa Sethwape via Sub (Triangle Choke) – Round 1 (3:06)
WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT
Robert Swanepoel def. Masefi Ngoma via TKO (Strikes) – Round 2 (0:39)
BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT
Bheki Ngcobo def. Christian Mulamba via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
PERFORMANCE BONUSES: Eduardo Barros, Nicholas Hwende, and Stephan de la Rey
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Nkazimulo Zulu vs Gian Souza
EFC 94, Manengela vs Saaiman, presented by World Sports Betting, takes place on Saturday, 4 June 2022 live from the EFC Performance Institute in JHB, South Africa. Full broadcast and fight information at www.efcworldwide.com.