Johannesburg (South Africa) – When Martin van Staden and Dino Bagattin stepped into the hexagon at EFC AFRICA 15 on 27 July, fans were hoping for an action-packed war to remember and that’s exactly what they got! The Punisher and The Lion went toe-to-toe for most of the bout, but it was van Staden who finally emerged victorious by way of D’Arce choke submission in round three. Here’s what they had to say about EFC AFRICA 15’s Fight of the Night:

Martin van Staden
“I think Dino came to the fight better prepared than my team and I expected. I’m not saying we underestimated him, but I was surprised at how much he had to give. The fact that we were both in such good shape made for a great battle and was what produced the end result of Fight of the Night. I definitely showed that my stand-up was better as I landed a lot more clean punches. I coasted a bit in the second round to see what Dino had in him, and then turned up the pressure in the third to finish the fight. I was stoked about the way I was able to finish, with a fairly high-level submission. This win solidifies my number 1 contender status so a title shot would make sense, but I’d rather not sit around and wait 7 months for it to happen. If an opportunity to face a top opponent comes along this year I will definitely take it.”

Dino Bagattin
“It was a close fight and I reckon Martin brought out the best in me. I think he knows deep inside that he didn’t have it all his own way. In round one he caught me on the temple and put me down. To eat a shot that’s probably put a lot of people to sleep, and then recover, was a testament to my conditioning. I knew Martin was gonna be tough and I proved I was just as tough. When he caught me in the third round I was actually escaping the D’Arce choke, but choked on the backdrop of blood and snot. I remember trying to clear my throat and Martin must have heard it because he squeezed just a little bit tighter. I got the drowning feeling, panicked, and tapped. Even though I lost, this is the first time I’ve had so much positive come out of a negative. Fair play to Martin, he capitalised on a great fight, and us earning Fight of the Night was some consolation. Who knows, maybe one day we can dance again! For now, Martin will probably get the title shot and I reckon he deserves it. As for me, I want to be back in the cage as soon as possible, if not October then definitely November. I’ve got plenty of time to up my skills and I feel sorry for whoever EFC gives me!”

For more MMA action, don’t miss EFC AFRICA 16, presented by MusclePharm, at the Carnival City Big Top Arena on 19 October. Tickets on sale soon at Computicket www.computicket.com and tickets for the live broadcast to Nu Metro Cinemas available soon at www.numetro.co.za. The three main card bouts will be broadcast live across Africa on e.tv, starting at 22h40 CAT.