No matter what round, Sayed plans to KO the champ
EFC interim bantamweight champion Irshaad Sayed believes he will secure victory over Demarte Pena in one of two ways in tonight’s title unification bout.
Full bantamweight champion Pena will square off with Sayed in a fight that’s over a year in the making, and has been billed as the most anticipated MMA bout in African history.
Angola’s Pena held the EFC featherweight belt before the bantamweight division was created and has won all 11 of his professional bouts.
But Sayed has questioned Pena’s toughness, skill and endurance and predicted that his striking and stamina will be his most effective weapons.
“I can finish it early if I catch him with a good combination, but I won’t chase the knockout. I’ll let it come naturally but if he makes it out of that first round, I envision a third or fourth-round knockout because I think he will slow down towards the end,” Sayed said.
“He’s strong and explosive in the beginning, but I think I have a better gas tank. I’ll keep pushing the same pace in the third and fourth round as I do in the first. I think that is where I can finish him and capitalise on his fitness. I’m always fit to go. It’s either a first-round finish or a third or fourth-round knockout.”
Sayed’s “gas tank” been an effective weapon for him in the past. In April’s interim title fight against Cedric Doyle, his relentless and varied attack saw him wear down his opponent to claim a TKO win in the third round.
While Pena appears to be the more muscular, any perceived lack of stamina has never hindered him. And although many would argue that “The Wolf” has never faced an opponent of Sayed’s calibre, six of his fights have gone a full five rounds and two of his four finishes have come in the fourth.
Though stamina could decide tonight’s winner at the GrandWest Arena, there’s one other immeasurable that could be the decisive factor – whether Pena has improved since he last fought 16 months ago.
Since he beat Doyle by unanimous decision in his last title defence at EFC 41 in July last year, Pena will likely have known that Sayed would be his next opponent.
Although past performances show “The White Tiger” to be the better striker, Pena trains at Fight Fit Militia, who have a reputation and record of fighters growing and improving during their downtime.
But Sayed doubts that his 27-year-old opponent will have revolutionised his takedown-heavy approach.
“I don’t know what Demarte is going to bring to the table this time, but I don’t think he will have changed drastically over the last year,” he said.
“His base is wrestling, or rather he claims to have a base in wrestling, but I don’t even think his wrestling is that good. He has done the same thing in all of his fights – try to take the guys down, stay on top and grind out a victory, and that’s what I’m expecting from him.
“But maybe I’ve annoyed him enough that he may actually try to stand and fight with me. I’m prepared for whatever comes my way...”
Sayed’s best chance of winning rests on whether he can defend Pena’s takedowns and avoid his powerful counterpunches as he tries to wear his rival down and fire off his own strikes.
But, win or lose, the 27-yearold’s promotional abilities have helped draw attention from outside of Africa’s borders on the showdown at EFC 55.