Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Madiba ‘always ready to fight’ inside the hexagon
To pick up where he left off and finish Kanyeba in Round One of EFC 54
EFC featherweight title contender Tumisang “The President” Madiba believes the ultra- short notice for his bout against Anicet Kanyeba will make little difference tonight.
Kanyeba was set to face Pierre Botha at EFC 54 at Sun City, but the latter withdrew on Monday after suffering a shoulder injury.
Madiba answered the EFC’s call and was officially announced as the new opponent on Tuesday – giving him just three days to prepare and make the 66kg weigh- in.
“I stay ready. I’m always ready to fight. I can always take short- notice fights because I’m fighting within my weight division,” he said.
“Other guys can’t take them because they have to cut a lot of weight to get to their weight category. I fight very much within my weight division, so I make it easily. I’m always prepared, I’m always training and I’m always fit.”
Madiba is on a winning streak, after a second-round TKO victory against Sindile Manengela at EFC 52 in August and a submission win over Mamoudou Toure just 80 seconds in their bout at EFC 53 last month.
The 28- year- old, who moved to Cape Town earlier this year, says he has had the right balance of rest and training since he last stepped into the hexagon.
“I think one of the most of the important parts of training is resting and now that I’m in Cape Town, it’s also wonderful for my mind. I’m doing other things that are healthy, like I’m playing beach soccer to stay fit,” he said.
“After the Mamoudou Toure fight I took a break, even though I didn’t take any damage. I took my foot off the pedal a little bit and two weeks after that, I put it down again.”
Tonight’s bout will be the second time that Madiba and Kanyeba face off. The first encounter, at EFC 51 in July, was brought to a close in the second round when Kanyeba could no longer continue.
The Congolese suffered what was adjudged to be an accidental eye poke and the bout was ruled a no-contest. Madiba is grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight, and he hopes to do so emphatically.
“I was just getting into the swing of things when the eye poke happened. I know he’s probably worried because he knows what it’s like to be in there with me. I’m confident because I’ve felt what it’s like to be in there with him,” he said.
“Honestly, I feel like that wasn’t an eye poke. I won’t badmouth him because I’m good sportsman, but I feel like that wasn’t an eye poke and he could have carried on.
“I’m just going to pick up the pace right where I left it and finish he fight in the first round,” he added.
Tonight’s fight card also features a flyweight title bout between Baldwin Mdlalose and JP Buys, a women’s flyweight belt battle between Shana Power and Amanda Lino, along with a fight between Elvis Moyo and Andrew van Zyl for the heavyweight strap.