Cape Town, South Africa – One of the most intense fight build ups in recent memory reached its zenith today, when EFC flyweight champion Nkazimulo Zulu (10-2) faced off against challenger Gary Joshua (4-0), at the official EFC 75 weigh in at the GrandWest Arena.
Joshua faces the organisation’s most lethal champion in front of his own home town crowd, and promised a war tomorrow night.
“There’s only two ways this fight is ending,” said the challenger, “his head on a pike, or me on my shield.”
The dominant champion Zulu was matter-of-fact in his interview. “All the talking is done now, I came here to smash him,” he said, before inviting the crowd to name how he would put Joshua away.
South Africa’s Luthando Biko (4-1) and England’s Cal Ellenor (7-1) fill the co-main event slot with their interim bantamweight title bout, and present a contrasting picture.
After both made weight the two continued the tone of respect and brotherhood they have shown throughout.
“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling strong,” said Biko. “Me and Cal are going to put on a show for you guys.”
“The magic is going to happen tomorrow night,” added Ellenor, promising the crowd a fight to remember.
Cape Town’s Armand Scheepers faces England’s Joe Cummins, and once again found himself on the wrong side of the scale. After missing weight against Luke Michael at EFC 72, also held in Cape Town, this time Scheepers was 2lbs over.
“I’ll fight him at any weight,” Cummins said at a midweek press conference, and made good on his word. Scheepers will compete and suffer a financial penalty.
The dangerous Mzwandile Hlongwa returns to the Hexagon to face another returning hero, Norway’s Torbjørn Madsen, who last appeared at EFC 68 in Cape Town.
Madsen carries the honour of competing in the first live event broadcast to his home country tomorrow night, a nation where MMA is still prohibited from live competition. A technical competitor, the powerful aggression of Durban’s Hlongwa against Madsen makes for a riveting matchup.
Capetonian sensation Faeez Jacobs hit the scale with a message scrawled across his arms and chest, direct for the fans he fights for. “Dream, Believe, Achieve,” read his inspirational message, one he has stood for all throughout his metoric rise in the organsiaton.
Jacobs’ opponent TC Khusu came in 2lbs overweight. He suffers a financial penalty.
Armand Scheepers weighed in at 172lbs, missing weight by 2lbs, TC Khusu weighed in at 145lbs, missing his catch weight bracket by 2lbs. Chad Hepburn weighed in at 159lbs, missing weight by 3.8lbs.
The official EFC 75 weigh-in results are as follows:
Fight 1: Lightweight
Serge Kasanda 153lbs
Chad Hepburn 159lbs
Fight 2: Lightweight
Shane Higgins 152lbs
Benjamin Mangala 152lbs
Fight 3: Light Heavyweight
Khulekani Hlongwa 198lbs
Willem Smith 200lbs
Fight 4: Flyweight
Themba Mkhize 124lbs
Fafa Dwama 125lbs
Fight 5: Featherweight
Corné Blom 144lbs
Chris Dove 145lbs
Fight 6: Heavyweight
Thabani Mndebela 240lbs
Nico Yamdjie 258lbs
Fight 7: Lightweight
Regis Muyambo 153lbs
Saxon Delafield 155lbs
Fight 8: Featherweight
TC Khusu 145lbs
Faeez Jacobs 141lbs
Fight 9: Middleweight
Mzwandile Hlongwa 184lbs
Torbjørn Madsen 184lbs
Fight 10: Welterweight
Joe Cummins 170lbs
Armand Scheepers 172lbs
Fight 11: Bantamweight Title Fight
Cal Ellenor 135lbs
Luthando Biko 134lbs
Fight 12: Flyweight Title Fight
Gary Joshua 125lbs
Nkazimulo Zulu 125lbs
EFC 75 Zulu vs Joshua, Biko vs Ellenor is presented by Betxchange.com, and takes place on Saturday 3 November live from GrandWest, Cape Town. Tickets are on sale at computicket.com, and the 5 main card bouts will be broadcast live on Kwesé Free Sports 1 (Kenya & Rwanda), Kwese TV (Sub-Saharan Africa), SABC 3 (South Africa), DAZN (USA), TV 2 – Sports 1 (Norway), FIGHT SPORTS (Where available) & EFCworldwide.tv (Where available) starting at 21:30 (CAT). Full broadcast details available on efcworldwide.com.