Tearful Van Zyl shows his class
EFC: CHAMP AWARDED BLACK BELT AFTER RETAINING TITLE
An emotional Andrew van Zyl found it tough to hold back the tears after he retained his Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) heavyweight title at the Sun City Super Bowl on Saturday night.
The organisation’s most successful athlete not only kept the gold strap in a fight-of-the-night performance as he stopped Wessel Mostert, but was also handed his Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt after the fight.
“It’s been quite a hectic journey. I just want to say thank you to the EFC for making me a household name,” a tearful Van Zyl said about his 16-year trip in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Van Zyl did not have things his own way at the start of the fight, taking a few brutal blows from Mostert, but as the contest progressed he found his feet and eventually stopped his opponent with some very effective ground and pound.
“I had lead in my feet for the first couple of rounds. It’s something I need to work on and I will be better next time.”
While Van Zyl needed nearly 15 minutes to keep his title, it was the complete opposite in the light-heavyweight division.
Champion Dulcha needed just 26 seconds in his championship bout as he knocked Frenchman Alan Baudot out cold.
With the dust barely settled after that brutal display, Dulcha was called out by Britain’s Stuart Austin – a natural light-heavyweight – who stepped up to heavyweight for his EFC debut and beat Elvis Moyo by a unanimous decision.
“I was not impressed (with Dulcha’s performance). He was on the ropes and he stood his ground and threw a punch that landed. In all honesty, that will not happen against me. I will chew him up and it will be an easy fight.” Austin said when asked if he would like a crack at Dulcha’s belt.
Carnival City is up next for the EFC on August 19 as middleweight champion Yannick Bahati puts his title on the line against welterweight champion Drikus du Plessis.