The drama of fight week reached its peak at Wednesday’s official weigh-in for EFC 128, where history repeated itself in the championship picture.

Interim featherweight champion Ken Sekeletu, one of the most exciting young talents in the division, failed to make the 145 lb championship limit, tipping the scales at 147 lb*. As a result, Sekelelu has been forced to relinquish his interim featherweight title.

Despite this setback, Sekelelu’s decision to step into the Hex and still face his challenger underscores his fighting spirit and commitment to the sport. The interim featherweight title will now hang in the balance — Billy Oosthuizen, who made a perfect 145 lb, remains the only fighter eligible to capture the championship on fight night.

Should Sekeletu emerge victorious, the belt will remain vacant.

Remarkably, this echoes the events of EFC 127, where heavyweight champion Elvis

Moyo also missed weight, surrendering his crown on the scales. Just like Moyo, Sekeletu will now compete without the gold on the line — a twist that adds even greater intrigue to tomorrow’s main event.

WEIGH-IN RESULTS

INTERIM FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT

• Ken Sekeletu (147 lb*) v Billy Oosthuizen (145 lb)

MAIN CARD

• Siyakudumisa Nomvemve (190 lb*) v JT Botha (185 lb) – Middleweight
• Ayanda Zwane (145 lb) v Roberto Miyaba (145 lb) – Featherweight
• Brandon Santos (123 lb) v Kgaugelo Moitshela (129 lb*) – Flyweight
• Nicolaas Vermaak (134 lb) v William Lekana (136 lb*) – Bantamweight

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Yaseen Adams (145 lb) v Rudolf Sekhukhune (146 lb*) – Featherweight
• Mpho Hloka (137 lb) v Ash Zola (136 lb) – Catchweight 137.5 lb
• Jaden van der Merwe (206 lb*) v Willem Smith (203 lb) – Light Heavyweight
• Lecture Gumbi (141 lb) v Story Mpia Embombe (137 lb*) – Catchweight 141 lb
• Sisa Jungula (125 lb) v Zeca Martinho (126 lb) – Flyweight
• Thierry Bahati (155 lb) v Stefan Diedericks (154 lb) – Lightweight

Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will ‘run it back’ when they face off in the light heavyweight main event of a UFC Fight Night, set for the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 14 January 2024.

Ankalaev (17-1-1, 1 NC) and Walker (21-7, 1 NC) faced off at UFC 294 in October last year, though their match was called off with just over three minutes of the first round elapsed due to an accidental but illegal knee strike from Ankalaev which rendered Walker unable to continue – leading to a declaration of No Contest (NC).

Ankalaev was looking to continue the form which had seen him rack up a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11 wins, plus a draw with former division champion Jan Blachowicz stretching from 2018 to 2022), while Walker had registered three successive wins over Ion Cutelaba, Paul Craig and Anthony Smith through 2022 and 2023.

“They could've taken points away from him or disqualify him, it's an illegal shot,” said an angry Walker in reference to their last meeting, feeling that Ankalaev should have been disqualified.

“He could've put me out in a very illegal shot that could've damaged my brain. You know the rules, it's a very dirty move. That's why I'm upset.”

Ankalaev noted, “I understand that doing something crazy like that gets the viewership up, and I’m starting to understand that this is something that is necessary moving forward. We’re working on it. We’re working on something, so soon you can probably expect a show.”

The match has major significance for the light heavyweight division, with the winner likely to become a major contender to face champion Alex Pereira later in the year.

The rest of the main card features a flyweight fight pitting Matheus Nicolai against Manel Kape; Jim Miller faces Gabriel Benitez in a lightweight clash; Ricky Simon battles Mario Bautista in the bantamweight division; and a middleweight opener sees Phil Hawes face Brunno Ferreira.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ANKALAEV VS. WALKER 2 – MAIN CARD

- Main event: Light heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev v Johnny Walker

- Flyweight: Matheus Nicolai v Manel Kape

- Lightweight: Jim Miller v Gabriel Benitez

- Bantamweight: Ricky Simon v Mario Bautista

- Middleweight: Phil Hawes v Brunno Ferreira

Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan will battle to climb the UFC’s lightweight ladder when they meet in the main event of a Fight Night set for the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday morning.

Dariush (22-5-1) will be looking to bounce back from a first-round TKO loss at the hands of former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 289 in Canada back in June of this year. The Iranian-born fighter had racked up eight successive wins prior to that defeat and remains one of the division’s top contenders, as the fourth-ranked competitor.

Dariush is expecting a tough battle at this Fight Night: “I think he’s going to be looking to go low and go high. By low I mean takedowns, and by high I mean striking,” he explained.

“But that’s what I prepare for every day. I prepare to fight guys that can do it all. I don’t know if he does anything that would surprise me.

“Once I get in there, I’ll have a better idea. I will say I need to get a better idea of his strength. That’s something that could be out of my expectations. When I went with [Mateusz] Gamrot, he was strong, but I didn’t feel, ‘Oh man, this guy is overwhelming me.’ Let’s see if Tsarukyan is going to be the same thing.”

Tsarukyan (20-3) is number eight on the rankings and chasing a third straight win after he defeated Damir Ismagulov (unanimous decision) and Joaquim Silva (third-round TKO) in December 2022 and June of this year respectively.

“I believe my conditioning is better, and I’ll finish him,” Tsarukyan noted. “I’m the best young fighter in our division. Beneil, he has like more than 20 fights in the UFC, and he has a lot of experience. So, young wolf vs. old wolf. We’ll see who’s going to win.”

The rest of the main card features a lightweight co-main in which Jalin Turner will battle Bobby Green; a bantamweight clash between Rob Font and Deiveson Figueiredo; Sean Brady v Kelvin Gastelum in the welterweight division; a middleweight match pitting Punahele Soriano against Dustin Stoltzfus; and a light heavyweight opener between Khalil Rountree Jr and Azamat Murzakanov.

UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan main card

- Main event: Lightweight: Beneil Dariush v Arman Tsarukyan

- Lightweight: Jalin Turner v Bobby Green

- Bantamweight: Rob Font v Deiveson Figueiredo

- Welterweight: Sean Brady v Kelvin Gastelum

- Middleweight: Punahele Soriano v Dustin Stoltzfus

- Light heavyweight: Khalil Rountree Jr v Azamat Murzakanov

Brendan Allen and Paul will go to war when they meet in the middleweight main event of a UFC Fight Night set for the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on Sunday morning.

Allen (25-2) has risen to No 9 in the middleweight rankings on the back of a five-fight win streak, most recently defeating Bruno Silva with a first-round submission in June.

The 27-year-old, who hails from South Carolina and is nicknamed ‘All In’, is confident that he can get the better of any opponent.

“I fear no man,” Allen said. “I turn down no fight. If that’s what he wants, he can come get it. I don’t care. Anyone can get it. ‘C*mshot’ [Khamzat Chimaev], [Jared] Cannonier, [Marvin] Vettori – anyone. They can all get it.

“I don’t care. What? He’s going to try to take me down? Congratulations – you could take me down. I’ll jump guard, but what are you going to do with it? I’m a different beast. On my back, on top, it doesn’t matter. I’m a different beast.”

Craig (17-6) recently bounced back to form (after successive defeats to Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir) with a second-round TKO of Andre Muniz in July in his middleweight debut.

The 35-year-old Scottish fighter says he is a happier, healthier fighter dropping down from the light heavyweight category.

“There’s been a few eye-openers in cutting weight. I was a light heavyweight for 12 years of my career and I’ve decided to move down,” explained the ‘Bear Jew’.

“I feel much better in my skin, I feel much better in my body. I look physically more muscular. Even though it’s just a little bit of muscle, my body fat has gone way down, so all the kinds of things, all the numbers that I’m producing in training have been through the roof.”

The rest of the main card features a welterweight clash between Michael Morales and Jake Matthews; Chase Hooper v Jordan Leavitt in the lightweight division; a bantamweight battle between Payton Talbott and Nick Aguirre; Luana Pinheiro and Amanda Ribas will meet in a women’s strawweight match; and a welterweight opener pits Jonny Parsons against Uros Medic.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Allen v Craig – Main card

- Main event: Middleweight: Brendan Allen v Paul Craig

- Welterweight: Michael Morales v Jake Matthews

- Lightweight: Chase Hooper v Jordan Leavitt

- Bantamweight: Payton Talbott v Nick Aguirre

- Women’s strawweight: Luana Pinheiro v Amanda Ribas

- Welterweight: Jonny Parsons v Uros Medic

UFC 295, set for the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on the morning of Sunday 12 November 2023, will feature two title fights in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.

Originally set to be headlined by Jon Jones making the first defence of his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic, this card was altered when the champion was forced to withdraw due to injury.

This has seen the former co-main event, a fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira for the vacant light heavyweight belt, promoted to top billing, while the new co-main event will be a battle for the interim heavyweight title between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall.

Jamahal Hill, the most recent light heavyweight champion, vacated his title after rupturing his Achilles tendon, which is expected to keep him out of action until some time in 2024.

Prochazka (29-3-1) himself vacated the light heavyweight title after injury and will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since the submission win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 in June 2022 which first brought him the belt.

Pereira (8-2), the former UFC middleweight champion, made a successful move up to the light heavyweight division in July of this year when he defeated the highly-regarded former champion Jan Blachowicz via split decision.

“Okay, so it’s going to be a fight, a real spectacle, because it’s different styles. But it’s a style everyone loves, and I’m super stoked to have booked this fight. I’m sure it’s going to be a blast. I don’t think anyone will regret watching this fight,” said Pereira.

The clash between Pavlovich (18-1) and Aspinall (13-3) pits together two of the heavyweight division’s most exciting rising stars. The former has racked up six straight wins (all first-round stoppages for KO or TKO), claiming impressive scalps such as Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa and Curtis Blaydes in the process, while the latter is fresh from a first-round destruction of Marcin Tybura in July which marked his spectacular return from a career-threatening knee injury suffered in mid-2022.

“I'm fighting the most dangerous guy in the UFC on two weeks’ notice, but I'm willing to put it all on the line. This is my absolute dream and I'm f***** doing a Bisping,” said Aspinall, in reference to fellow Englishman Michael Bisping’s winning the middleweight title in 2016 when he took on Luke Rockhold on 17 days’ notice.

The rest of the fight card features matches such as Mackenzie Dern v Jessica Andrade in the women’s strawweight division; a lightweight battle between Matt Frevola and Benoit Saint-Denis; and Diego Lopes v Pat Sabatini in the featherweight category.

UFC 295 – Fight card

- Main event: Light heavyweight championship: Jiri Prochazka v Alex Pereira

- Co-main event: Interim heavyweight championship: Sergei Pavlovich v Tom Aspinall

- Featherweight: Diego Lopes v Pat Sabatini

- Women’s strawweight: Mackenzie Dern v Jessica Andrade

- Lightweight: Matt Frevola v Benoit Saint-Denis

- Flyweight: Matt Schnell v Steve Erceg

- Women’s strawweight: Tabatha Ricci v Loopy Godinez

- Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov v Viacheslav Borschev

- Lightweight: Mateusz Rebecki v Nurullo Aliev

- Featherweight: Dennis Buzukja v Jamall Emmers

- Lightweight: Jared Gordon v Mark Madsen

- Bantamweight: John Castadena v Kang Kyung-ho

- Flyweight: Joshua Van v Kevin Borjas

All 26 athletes successfully made weight as EFC 109 is officially ready to rock the African continent including the main event which features the devastating knock-out artist Cole ‘The Hitman’ Henning and the Zambian phenomenon Humphrey ‘King Cobra’ Mulenga.

Despite Mulenga finishing all of his fights in the first round and never having been knocked out or submitted, Henning displayed his usual stoic confidence at the scale in front of a grinning opponent who refused to break his gaze and is the marginal favourite at World Sports Betting.

Regardless of the braggadocio on display in front of the baying crowd, both fighters are fully aware that a victory in the EFC Performance Institute on Thursday night secures them a title shot in their next booking.

Senegalese star Demba Seck returned to the stage after his stunning upset win over Stephan de la Rey last year, and faced down his opponent, Mpumalanga’s Vince Bembe, who has been vocal in his deadly intent to make another run for the featherweight title, as evidenced by him being a massive favourite at World Sports Betting, while a R100 wager on Seck would payout R400 to the lucky punter.

INTENSE FACE-OFF

The most intense face-off of the day occurred between two EFC legends, Dino ‘The Lion’ Bagattin and Pietie ‘Thunder’ Coxen, who will now rematch a fight that took place over four years ago and which ended prematurely in a controversial clash of heads. The bad blood between the two is still spilling over from that night at Carnival City and was evident as they were separated by Night Guard security.

A more respectful distance was maintained in the other two main-card face-offs as the BJJ wizard Zaakir Badat makes a welcome return against the imposing Christopher Matukane and fellow jits master Jailson Sousa was the epitome of cool as he gazed into the laser-eyed stare of the highly dangerous Khulekani ‘Cold Steel’ Hlongwa.

Eight preliminary bouts were also rubber-stamped as one of the largest fight cards in recent EFC history is set to explode on Thursday night, culminating in that stunning main event where anything can happen!

Main Card

LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHT

Cole Henning (SA) 153.1lbs v Humphrey Mulenga (ZMB) 155lbs

FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT

Vince Bembe (SA) 145lbs v Demba Seck (SEN) 145lbs

MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT

Jailson De Sousa Rodrigues (BRA) 184.8lbs v Khulekani Hlongwa (SA) 184.9lbs

MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT

Dino Bagattin (SA) 185lbs v Pietie Coxen (SA) 183.8lbs

WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT

Christopher Matukane (SA) 170lbs v Zaakir Badat (SA) 170lbs

Prelim Card

LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHT

Adrian Sanchez (SA) 155lbs v Sizwe Mnikathi (SA) 154.7lbs

BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT

Godknows Ndlovu (ZWE) 134.1lbs v Edson Machavane (MOZ) 131.8lbs

FLYWEIGHT FIGHT

Luke Hendrikz (SA) 125lbs v Vincent Nakana (SA) 125lbs

CATCHWEIGHT FIGHT

Johannes Rudolph (SA) 127.6lbs v Vuyo Jula (SA) 125.2lbs

MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT

Johan Pfahl (SA) 183.5lbs v Jeremie Tshibala (DRC) 184.4lbs

FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT

Guide Moyo (ZWE) 145lbs v David Mambo (DRC) 143.1lbs

LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHT

Guelor Sondi (DRC) 153.2lbs v Patrick Ocheme (NGA) 155lbs

FEATHERWEIGHT FIGHT

Allistar Kunene (SA) 145lbs v Magekha Lucky (SA) 143.6lbs