All of the main card athletes competing at EFC 124 were present at the World Sports Betting Arena to kick-off fight week with the official press conference.
With the event detonating in Johannesburg on 5 June, it will be one of the biggest fight cards in promotional history with 26 fighters in total competing in the ultimate human proving ground, topped by the main event title fight for the Welterweight gold between South Africa’s incumbent Zaakir Badat and Nigerian challenger, Segun Ogunnoki.
Proceedings between Badat and Ogunnoki were relatively civil with both fighters professing mutual respect for one another and whilst the champion refused to underestimate his opponent, the Nigerian was happy to state his confidence in finding the finish and taking the belt back to Lagos.
Despite his assurances, the three-time national kickboxing champ of Nigeria is a massive underdog at World Sports Betting, running a 6.50 outside line, with the champ reflecting an opposite swing as huge favourite to retain his shiny buckle.
Furthermore, Badat has never been finished in his entire career both as an amateur and professional during which all of his wins have come by stoppage. But his challenger’s five out of six wins were all finishes mostly thanks to the fists of lead which have earned him the nickname ‘Machinegun Shegz’ and offers a worthy conundrum of concussive consequence to the welterweight king of Africa.
The co-main event sees Sibusiso Sovendle battling to retain his number one contender spot against hot prospect and shooting star, Thimna Mhauli. Fighting words flew back and forth between the pair on stage with the QuanWessels standout goading Sovendle and reminding him of his failure to beat Faeez Jacobs in his unsuccessful title shot. Mhauli is running through the bantamweight roster like a knife through butter with an undefeated winning streak replete with astonishing finishes that have marked him a possible title-contender, the very same spot coveted by ‘Triple-S’.
Following his loss to Jacobs, Sovendle must derail the Mhlaulli hypetrain if he wants another crack at gold, and with massive victories over the likes De Beer, Zondi, Mkhwanazi and Mambo, he’s more than capable of making an example of the breakout talent.
Matters got heated very quickly when Chadrack Yemba interrupted Mhaluli’s teammate, Steven Goncalves who he faces on Thursday, challenging the veteran to explain exactly how he’ll beat him, to which Goncalves fired back that he must wait until fight night to find out in the worst way possible.
Goncalves represents the battle hardened upper reaches of the featherweight division, and as a new and rising talent, the undefeated Chadrack Yemba is the perfect test. Having finished every opponent placed before him, ending the nights of Bosco, Doyisa, and Katikati, the Apex South stalwart known as ‘Baba Yage’ has relentlessly campaigned for an upper tier challenge, and finally, the matchmakers have granted his request with a main card war which has already begun in their locked-and-loaded smacktalk!
Talking of rising stars, Kevin Pretorius from Gqeberha is also streaking across the MMA firmament. Hailing from the halls of PESFA under the mentorship of EFC legend Chris Bright, Pretorius is on an undefeated professional tear, overwhelming opponents with an MMA onslaught, which has led to three straight finishes, all inside of two rounds.
At EFC 124 he faces a new level of opposition in the form of Osvaldo Benedito. A former African amateur welterweight champion, the Angolan set the division alight on debut, when he defeated Robert Swanepoel with ground and pound, and followed that with a rear naked choke finish on Patrick Lomboto, also in the first.
Last year he met the world class wrestling pedigree of Hanru Botha, and tasted his first defeat, bringing searing motivation to his bout with the undefeated Pretorius. They too were cool and composed on stage, both refusing to engage in any provocation but steadfast in their confidence in finishing the other to take the win. Kelvin Smit is building a solid resume, to attack the upper reaches of the flyweight division.
Debuting as a professional in 2023, he has gone 4-2 in his six outings, finishing every victory. Having recently moved to Team CIT in Pretoria, Smit is riding high after his calculated dismantling of Teboho Ntene at EFC 122. On a quest to define himself as one of the top players in the division, at EFC 124, his next test, is the dynamic Lihle ‘Rush Hour’ Ngamntwini, who is riding high on a three fight tear which include several performance bonuses. The two 125lb’ers were also classy in front of the press, with neither prepared to discuss their fight camp details but expressed serious intent to emerge with their hands raised at the end of the night.
With a busy fight week schedule ahead including the Wednesday weigh-ins which will also feature all sixteen prelim fighters, the stage is set for another incredible night of drama and action.
Full EFC 124 fight card
Main Card
Welterweight Title Bout – Zaakir Badat © vs Segun Ogunnoki
Bantamweight Bout – Thimna Mhauli vs Sibusiso Sovendle
Featherweight Bout – Steven Goncalves vs Chadrack Yemba
Lightweight Bout – Kevin Pretorius vs Osvaldo Benedito
Flyweight Bout – Kelvin Smit vs Lihle Ngamntwini
Preliminary Card
Flyweight Bout – Ntando Zondi vs Godknows Ndlovu
Bantamweight Bout – Musa Sethwape vs Vince Bembe
Lightweight Bout- Lucky Bosco vs Yaseen Adams
Flyweight Bout – Sisa Jungula vs Teboho Ntene
Flyweight Bout – Mfanafuthi Ngobese vs Dauda Rajabu
Bantamweight Bout – Mlungisi Mbizane vs Vincent Nakana
Flyweight Bout – Thapelo Seabi vs Coenie Lamprecht
Flyweight Bout – Siyanda Vilakazi vs Brandon Santos
