IT’S FIGHT WEEK!

The EFC light-heavyweight title will be adorning a new warrior for the first time since Cameroonian Bellator vet, Simon Biyong, finished Quintin Rossouw to take the belt nearly four years ago. Traditionally one of the most prestigious titles in MMA, the 205lb belt has been worn by such legends on this continent as Dalcha, Wessels, Drotschie and Joubert, a pantheon of fierce athletes who will welcome the addition of either Mzwandile Hlongwa or JC Lamprecht to the names of their hallowed circle.

When Hlongwa knocked out Torbjørn Madsen with the most jaw-dropping spinning back-elbow in MMA history, nothing could have prepared him for the global stardom that followed. That viral moment lit up servers around the world like wildfire and propelled him onto a prize fighting path around the world. Now he returns to claim a prize that has eluded him for so long and in doing so, will have to finish a man that UFC breakout star, Dricus du Plessis, to this day claims was his toughest opponent to date, JC Lamprecht.

Since losing to ‘Stilknocks’ a decade ago, Lamprecht dedicated his energy into a highly-successful tactical training business, only to return to training alongside DuPlessis and return to competition in devastating style last year, thanks to two superb first-round knockouts, firstly of Willem Smith, and then just four months ago against Khulekani Hlongwa, the man whose brother he faces for the title one week from now, and who also finds himself competing on this same card as his sibling.

However, the fight is not as close as some may believe, with Hlongwa a massive underdog at World Sports Betting at an unprecedented 7.00 outside betting line and Lamprecht the overwhelming favourite at a tight 1.14, meaning that a R100 wager on ‘Snakebone’ would return R700 to the successful bettor in the instance of an upset*.

The entire main card is stacked with bouts that presage history, particularly during a week featuring Women’s Day in South Africa, two of the brightest prospects in African women’s MMA, Mischka Laubscher and Dayne van Wyk will battle it out in the Hex for contendership. ‘Quiet Storm’ is undefeated in all codes of her career and the Pretorian law student has three knock-outs on her highlight reel. But her opponent is the epitome of technical excellence with a skillset finely honed by PFA Head Coach Mike Mouneimne. As the current amateur women’s Champion of Africa, Laubscher has an electrifying submission game with which she will hope to negate Van Wyk’s powerful striking and overcome the odds as WSB have Laubscher down as a significant underdog at 4.30, and her foe at 1.25.

In fact, with 11 fights in total at EFC 106, there are several great-value parlay opportunities throughout the evening, and with World Sports Betting now providing viewers with in-play odds during the live show, the time for favourite fighter flutters is better than ever. The stage is now set in the fight capital of Africa, where the EFC Performance Institute is lit and prepped for another record-breaking live broadcast featuring the best sporting action on the continent. Will it be Hlongwa or Lamprecht that elevate themselves to legendary status, when in seven days’ time one of these incredible athletes can to claim to be, the greatest.

*Odds at the time of writing may be subject to change.

EFC 106 Hlongwa vs. Lamprecht is presented by World Sports Betting and takes place on Thursday, 10 August 2023, live from the EFC Performance Institute in JHB, South Africa.