Plenty on the line for fighters

On Saturday night at the Sun Arena two up-and-coming MMA athletes will get the opportunity of a lifetime when they step into the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) hexagon.

South Africa’s Brendon Lesar (above) and France’s Ibrahima Mane – the finalists of the EFC’s popular reality series The Fighter – will meet for a guaranteed six-figure, multi-fight contract as well as a title shot.

Over the last several weeks 10 of the best, undefeated middleweight prospects from around the world were selected to live and train together.

Every week, under the guidance of two of the best athletes in the EFC, they competed until only two remained.

Bantamweight champion Demarte Pena and interim champ Irshaad Sayed – who will fight to unify the title at EFC66 on the same night – were chosen as the coaches of the respective teams.

Lesar, who has one fight in the EFC, is relatively inexperienced compared to his oppenent, who boasts an overseas record of 6-0.

“I never try and analyse my opponent too much, I am ready to get stuck in and put on a show,” said the South African, who goes into this fight as an underdog.

“We are all here to make it to the top and fighting for a belt is just the cherry on top,” he added, when asked about the possibility of a title fight against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis next year if he beats Mane.