Terence Balelo and Edson Machavane put on one of the most intense EFC Championship bouts in the organisation’s history.
EFC 119’s main event last week was nothing short of a high-stakes chess match inside the hallowed hexagon.
Balelo put his interim flyweight belt on the line against the Mozambique-born Machavane, who eventually walked away the victor.
While it was a special day for Machavane’s family, the night was surrounded by controversy and kickback from the MMA community, who felt that Balelo had been on the wrong side of a split decision (48-47 Machavane, 48-47 Balelo, 49-46 Machavane).
More than that, many fighters, fans, pundits, and the like, including EFC matchmaker Graeme Cartmell, were surprised by judge Charl van Tonder’s 49-46 scorecard.
“As the winner was read, I was surprised by the decision,” said Cartmell.
“It was an incredibly close fight, and I believe a champion should be defeated. The 49-46 score was surprising, especially considering the other judges' cards. That said, leaving it to the judges invites this kind of uncertainty.”
Since the event, EFC fans have taken to social media to vent their frustration, saying Balelo had been robbed, while some were happy for Machavane.
With whispers of Balelo being close to signing with a major international promotion, this loss was not only a blemish on his record, but also a potentially major delay in his graduation to the bigger stage.
But Balelo might soon have the chance to get this one back, with talks of a rematch in the pipeline.
“As a promoter, it’s a privilege to know we have two incredible athletes who gave everything they had in the hexagon. It reaffirms that they were the right choices for a title fight. The community’s consensus favouring Terence is great for him – it validates an immediate rematch,” said the EFC vice president Cartmell.
“I haven’t discussed the rematch with Edson yet, as our focus has been on Terence’s hand surgery. Negotiations will begin in the coming weeks, targeting early 2025 to align with Terence’s recovery timeline.”
Both athletes showcased their striking skills in an intense five-round affair, with Balelo delivering good counters to Machavane’s flamboyant kicking game, which was introduced by his fancy skipping-into-the-pocket fighting style.
While Machavane initiated a leg-kick attack, Balelo responded with his boxing, which proved to be really effective in the past.
A notable point on the night was Balelo’s ability to stuff Machavane’s takedowns and neutralise his grappling, as the latter failed to land a single takedown.
In rounds one and two, Machavane was the busier fighter, taking centre stage and dominating the clinch.
During this period, Machavane’s strikes paid dividends, but equally, Balelo always had a counter to offer in response.
One of Machavane’s most effective shots was a beautifully-guided spinning back-kick to the ribs of Balelo at the start of the second round.
The strike, though, seemed to have been done in bad faith as the former champion wanted to touch gloves at the sound of the bell, leaving his guard down.
Machavane continued to show aggression, mixing up feints with his trademark switch kicks.
Another telling moment during round two was when Machavane’s right body kick was caught by Balelo, before countering with a left hook.
This led to an opening for Machavane to go for the takedown, but Balelo was the wiser, reversing the transition and neutralising any chance of Machavane initiating his jiu-jitsu.
In round three, the game started to open up.
Machavane got Balelo in the clinch, landing knees to the body before Balelo escaped and started using his boxing more proactively.
One of the highlights of the fight was a well-timed combination from Balelo, landing a straight left flush on the nose of Machavane before concluding his sequence with a right hook.
After finishing the third round strongly, Balelo seemed to only build momentum and take the lead.
While Machavane showcased beautiful and flashy taekwondo, many of his strikers proved ineffective, often just missing the target.
In round four, Machavane landed a blow to the chin, which was acknowledged by Balelo.
Soon after, Machavane went in for another takedown, but Balelo had predicted the play wisely and launched a knee to the head of Machavane.
Heading into the final round, the crowd and the commentators felt that Balelo had the inside lane on the title as he continued to slip or counter his opponent.
A big part of the final round took place against the fence as Machavane tried to grapple and subdue Balelo, before the referee broke them up to reset in the centre of the hexagon.
Admirably, after almost 25 minutes, both athletes showed their incredible cardio as they were still light on their feet.
Machavane did what he does best, unleashing a strong kicking game, while Balelo countered when in the pocket.
Machavane went all-in at the close, throwing a big overhand right, but Balelo again denied him and pushed the challenger away. Machavane’s last-gasp attempt saw him attack Balelo's leg.
The Cape Town-based Balelo, who also trains with South African elite combat star, Nedo Gomba, used his Muay Thai training to good effect, landing hell-bows to the head of Machavane.