PE set to host major MMA championship
City included in EFC fixtures for first time
THE wait is over for Nelson Mandela Bay fight fans as Africa’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion is set to make its way down to Port Elizabeth for the first time ever. The Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) has released its list of fixtures for this year, adding some new venues to its 10-fight annual schedule, and naming the Boardwalk International Convention Centre as the host for the October 7 showpiece.
“Not only will this be the first EFC in Port Elizabeth, but as far as we know it will be the first fight card in the city to showcase only professional fighters.
“We cannot wait to come down there and give the people a great show,” EFC matchmaker Graeme Cartmell said.
Other new venues include the Sibaya Casino in Durban and Menlyn Maine in Pretoria.
Besides the new venues, the EFC also announced a groundbreaking deal with the SABC yesterday, where the main card fights of all this year’s events will be broadcast live on SABC 3.
Additional shows about the fight promotion, fighters and upcoming events will be also broadcast.
Cartmell said the new venues would be considered for return shows if the events attracted enough attention and supporters.
“Port Elizabeth has been on our radar for a while, and in recent months we have seen some great talent come out of the Friendly City,” he said.
“So the plan is to build a show around these fighters and attract as many people to watch their hometown heroes do their thing in their own backyard.”
Cartmell said big names like veteran Chris Bright and welterweight title contender Cameron Pritchard had built great reputations all over the country, and along with exciting fighters like featherweight Sindile Manengela and heavyweight Ivan Strydom, they could put together a show that would pave the way for future events in the Bay.
“We know Port Elizabeth has been hungry for some top-level fights for some time now. This event will set the tone, and if the support is good we could make it an annual stop,” Cartmell said.
Bright, 44, who fought in the main event at the first EFC event in 2009, said he was excited at the prospect of fighting in front of his home crowd.
“Port Elizabeth is where my career as a fighter started and I am super excited at the prospect of rounding my career off where it all began – back in front of my home crowd on the biggest MMA stage in Africa,” he said.
“I think having EFC finally come to Port Elizabeth is a massive boost for mixed martial arts locally.
“It’s great to expose the PE public to what the local fighters are capable of.
“It’s also great for young up and coming fighters to see what an amazing platform they can potentially grow to compete in,” Bright said.
Pritchard, 27, said he was looking forward to the opportunity to show the Port Elizabeth crowd what their fighters were capable of.
“People here know about you and they see you on TV, but they don’t really know what you do or get to experience it with you,” he said.
Pritchard said travelling to fights and media events during intense training schedules could be taxing, saying that fighting from home instead of a hotel would be a welcome change.
“And if all goes according to plan over the next few months, I could either be fighting for the title, or possibly even be defending it, in Port Elizabeth.”