Gifting Title Fights is a Real Thing!

In an attempt to keep the EFC Light Heavyweight division active, the EFC have paired an “annual fighter” with an inconsistent figher for the right to strap the EFC gold around their waist!

Jailson Souza has fought once a year since 2021 and for that dedicated commitment to the EFC and his craft, he has been gifted a title shot, despite only having an unimpressive 2-fight win-streak.

The man who will be facing him on May 9 will be Zakir Badat, a fighter whose 3-fight win-streak was snapped back in 2021 and who, since then, has struggled to string together a win streak despite a stint a UAE Warriors, where his record is 2-2.

With ‘former’ Welterweight champ, Mark Hulme, having recently competed in the TUF House for a shot at a UFC contract – the outcome of which will only be known around the middle of the year – this writer can’t help but wonder why the EFC are acting so quickly in this very shallow division. Especially when one considers that Sousa was obliterated by former champ Ziko Makengele back in 2021.

Fans should feel aggrieved at the fact that the real main event of EFC 113 will serve as the co-main event on the night, when Faeez Jacobs will look to get back his 2021 unanimous decision loss against Sylvester Chipfumbu at EFC 85. Fans will remember that deserved performance bonus battle between the two, when Chipfumbu wrestled the Bantamweight strap from Jacobs only for it to taken away from him months later by the EFC.

EFC 113 will see the first female bout of the year as Ceileigh Niedermayr returns following shoulder surgery and rehabilitation to take on Ugandan Rebecca Amongi, who is on a 2-fight skid.

All this and ten other bouts are set to take place at the EFC PI on May 9, with the main card scheduled for TV coverage from 7pm.