HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
ANDREW VAN ZYL VS WESSEL MOSTERT
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
DALCHA LUNGIAMBULA VS ALAN BAUDOT
ELVIS MOYO VS STUART AUSTIN
ALAIN ILUNGA VS ANICET KANYEBA
FAEEZ JACOBS VS KEVIN PHEKO
PLUS
OUMPIE SEBEKO VS REGIS MUYAMBO
WARREN ALLISON VS ROELOF SCHEEPERS
RODRIQUE KENA VS TSHILOMBA MIKIXI
JOSEMAR OCTAVIO VS RADLEY DE VRIES
PIETIE COXEN VS TRESOR BOLUWA
FRANCOIS CUNDARI VS GUNTHER KALUNDA
CLAUDE NTUMBA VS LUTHANDO BIKO
Sun City, South Africa – Sun City, South Africa – A tension-fuelled weigh-in took place at Sun City today, ahead of EFC 61 tomorrow night.
Heavyweight champion Andrew van Zyl defends his title against undefeated challenger Wessel Mostert. Van Zyl is the most decorated athlete on the EFC roster and let his opponent know it.
“He’s a young, hungry lion,” said Van Zyl. “But I am better than him in every aspect of the game.”
“I’m fitter, stronger and faster than I have ever been. The belt will be mine,” replied Mostert.
The DRC’s Champion Dalcha defends his light heavyweight title. Activity in the arena screeched to a standstill when Dalcha emerged and his men from the Congo began chanting.
Hailing from France and having stepped onto African shores for the first time only one week ago, Alan Baudot seemed visibly surprised at the intense adulation Dalcha enjoys, an almost mystical bond with his supporters.
“I’m ready to keep my belt and put on a show,” said Dalcha. “It’s not about the words. It’s about what you do in the Hexagon.”
Surveying the baying crowd Badout replied quietly, but confidently. “My hands talk more than my mouth does, we’ll see tomorrow night.”
He raised one fist to the crowd. It seemed a sign of respect to the men from the Congo, as well as a warning.
Another African newcomer, Englishman Stuart Austin, stepped out to face-off against former all African boxing champion Elvis Moyo (Zimbabwe).
The youthful Austin has absorbed a ton of teasing from the Zimbabwean in the build up, and taken it in his good-natured stride. But all fun left the eyes of both when it came time to face-off.
“This is the match you want to watch,” said Austin during the week’s build-up. The crowd seemed to agree.
A record three different athletes broke their composure and pushed their opponent during their face-off, such was the intensity of the event.
One of these was Kanyeba Anicet vs former bantamweight title challenger Alain Ilunga. Their bout has a long history of on and off, and with it growing bad blood. It spilled over. They jumped at each other, security diving in to separate them.
Due to a late fight cancellation relative EFC newcomers Faeez Jacobs and Kevin Pheko receive a dream bump-up to the main card. Both were super-charged at weigh-in, both are thrilling strike specialists, each is motivated to deliver a beautiful fight tomorrow night.
One athlete failed to make weight. Tresor Boluwa opted for a financial penalty.
The official EFC 61 weigh-in results are as follows:
Fight 1: Featherweight
Luthando Biko 65.75kg
Claude Ntumba 65.90kg
Fight 2: Welterweight
Gunther Kalunda 76.15kg
Francois Cundari 76.65kg
Fight 3: Welterweight
Tresor Boluwa 79.05kg
Pietie Coxen 76.80kg
Fight 4: Flyweight
Radley De Vries 56.75kg
Josemar Octavio 56.55kg
Fight 5: Lightweight
Tshilumba Mikixi 68.90kg
Rodrique Kena 67.90kg
Fight 6: Light Heavyweight
Roelof Scheepers 91.80kg
Warren Allison 92.45kg
Fight 7: Catchweight
Regis Muyambo 67.45kg
Oumpie Sebeko 67.95kg
Fight 8: Bantamweight
Kevin Pheko 60.85kg
Faeez Jacobs 59.95kg
Fight 9: Catchweight
Anicet Kanyeba 71.60kg
Alain Ilunga 72.65kg
Fight 10: Heavyweight
Stuart Austin 103.95kg
Elvis Moyo 118.45kg
Fight 11: Light Heavyweight Title Fight
Alan Baudot 93.05kg
Champion Dalcha 92.30kg
Fight 12: Heavyweight Title Fight
Wessel Mostert 119.65kg
Andrew van Zyl 118.65kg
EFC 61: Van Zyl vs Mostert, Dalcha vs Baudot is presented by www.BetXchange.com and takes place on Saturday 8 July live from the Superbowl at Sun City in North West province, RSA. Tickets are on sale at www.computicket.com, and the 5 main card bouts will be broadcast live on (Sub-Saharan Africa), Kwesé Free Sports 1 (Kenya & Rwanda) and live in South Africa on SABC 3 starting at 21:00 (CAT). Full broadcast details available on www.efcworldwide.com.