Garreth ‘Soldierboy’ McLellan and Jeremy Smith stare each other down

Johannesburg (South Africa) – Carnival City crackled with pent up aggression at the EFC AFRICA 24 weigh-in this afternoon. Two title fights headline tomorrow night’s event.

In the first, the middleweight rematch between champion and fearsome competitor Jeremy ‘Pitbull’ Smith and challenger Garreth ‘Soldierboy’ McLellan, the crowd fell to a hush as the two men stared each other down.

This bout has been 20 months in the making, massive amounts of insult and counter insult have been traded in that time and it showed on the podium. Billed as a battle for the ages, judging by the ominous intent shown, neither will be holding back in tomorrow night’s main event.

“I’m coming to win the belt,” said McLellan in a brief interview after.

“I’m here to fight, that’s all,” said an ice cold Smith.

In the second championship bout, the featherweight clash between undefeated champion Demarte ‘The Wolf’ Pena (7-0) and the DRC born, brutal striker Alain ‘Commander Boy’ Ilunga (5-1), sparks flew as the two men finally stood face to face.

Earlier this week Ilunga described the champion as a “stepping stone”, a phrase Pena laughed off at the time. Today there was no hint of a smile.

“I will remain champion,” said Pena in a brief but powerful message.

“This is my time,” was Ilunga’s just as short reply.

The meeting between former champion Ruan ‘Fangzz’ Potts and Ricky ‘Apocalypse’ Misholas was equally tension filled.

The two were scheduled to meet in June of this year, but Misholas pulled out hours before the bout with an injured hand. Potts accused the Congolese athlete of avoiding the fight. Today the big men regarded each other calmly before Misholas refused to shake his opponent’s hand, provoking a quiet grin from Potts and a gasp from the crowd.

Of the 26 athletes that stood on the scale two did not hit their required weight limits.

Mbulelo Swikele and Pierre Botha had agreed to a featherweight bout catch weight limit of 63kgs. Swikele came in over that at 65.30kg. After a negotiation Botha’s camp have agreed to fight at the amended weight.

Nigerian athlete Victor Anyoagu weighed in at 61.90kg, 900 grams over the bantamweight limit. He has two hours to drop the weight.

EFC AFRICA 24 Weigh-in results were as follows:

Bout 1 : Featherweight bout
Kanyeba Anicet 66.00kg
Amos Hlatswayo 65.40kg

Bout 2 : Lightweight bout
Steven Momah 69.60kg
Pietie Coxen 69.90kg

Bout 3 : Bantamweight bout
Cedric Doyle 60.85kg
Sibulele Swikele 61.00kg

Bout 4 : Bantamweight bout
Victor Anyoagu 61.90kg (He has two hours to cut the extra 900 grams)
Darryl Moodley 59.75kg

Bout 5 : Featherweight bout at a catch of 63kg
Pierre Botha 62.85kg
Mbulelo Swikele 65.30kg (Botha’s camp have agreed to fight at the amended weight)

Bout 6 : Bantamweight bout
Craig Ninow 60.85kg
Nkazimulo Zulu 59.95kg

Bout 7 : Welterweight bout
Josh Muller 76.95kg
Morne Prinsloo 76.80kg

Bout 8 : Welterweight bout
David Buirski 76.45kg
Wade Henderson 76.35kg

Bout 9 : Middleweight bout
JC Lamprecht 83.80kg
Dricus du Plessis 83.70kg

Bout 10 : Featherweight bout
Brendon Katz 65.80kg
Gareth Buirski 65.85kg

Bout 11 : Heavyweight bout
Ruan Potts 111.05kg
Ricky Misholas 109.00kg

Bout 12 : Featherweight championship bout
Demarte Pena 65.65kg
Alain Ilunga 65.75kg

Bout 13: Middleweight championship bout
Jeremy Smith 83.60kg
Garreth McLellan 83.55kg

EFC AFRICA 24, presented by MusclePharm, takes place at Carnival City’s Big Top Arena on 10 October 2013. Tickets on sale now at www.computicket.com. The entire event can be streamed live, and in HD, from efcafrica.tv.

Broadcast information and full fight card available at efcafrica.com