Barebones MMA 10 delivers high-intensity night of amateur action - IOL
NAMIBIA'S CDS MMA star Baghdad Muundja is overjoyed as he is offically crowned the new Barebones MC champion in Milnerton this weekend.
Barebones MMA Championships 10: Fall of Kings unfolded at Sunningdale Sports Complex on Saturday, delivering another action-packed showcase of South Africa’s burgeoning amateur MMA scene.
Despite a shortened programme of 17 fights, the intensity inside the cage remained high, repeatedly drawing loud reactions from the spectators.
The Early Prelims concluded with a Youth A Featherweight clash between Zaid Skriker (Fighterz Inc) and Jonathan Erasmus (Hopefield MMA). Skriker applied relentless pressure early, using heavy top control to restrict Erasmus’ movement and attempting a triangle before transitioning to an armbar.
Erasmus remained composed, neutralising the submission attempt before turning the tide in the second round. He took Skriker’s back and secured a tight rear-naked choke to end the contest.
The main card continued with a Bantamweight contender bout between Xavier Cornelius (MadFit) and Moegammad Abbas Moerat (REPS). Both fighters carefully assessed each other early, but the pace increased as the fight progressed.
Cornelius found success in the clinch with knees to Moerat’s torso, while Moerat responded with crisp dirty boxing. Cornelius’ timing, defence and counters became increasingly effective in the third round, earning him the decision victory after a tactical back-and-forth contest.
The Middleweight Title bout saw Andre Coetzee (Fighterz Inc) face Elgreat Light Eze (Go For Broke). Fresh from a first-round KO at BMC 9, Eze again looked for an early finish. Coetzee initially used his size to pressure Eze against the cage and force the fight into grappling exchanges, but Eze defended the takedowns.
In the second round, Eze began setting up his right hand with powerful calf kicks before landing a punch that sent Coetzee crashing to the canvas. A vicious ground-and-pound assault followed, with Eze securing the victory via referee stoppage.
The co-main event saw Baghdad Muundjua (CDS) dethrone Bantamweight champion Umar Edwards (House of Combat). Muundjua controlled the cage with long-range straight punches and high kicks, while Edwards continued to press forward with hooks and low kicks.
As the fight progressed, Edwards began to slow and, although he attempted an armbar from the bottom in Round 4, Muundjua escaped and maintained dominant top control in the fifth. He is now set to face Cornelius at the next Barebones event.
The main event and Fight of the Night was the Welterweight Title clash between Frank Ngoka (Troublemaker) and Eden Faclier (House of Combat).
Faclier showcased his grappling in the opening round, controlling from the top and defending Ngoka’s attempts to reverse position. Ngoka found his rhythm in Round 2, using accurate striking and excellent distance management, while Faclier answered with several hard punches.
Ngoka took control over Rounds 3 and 4, using flashy kicks and well-timed feints to disrupt Faclier and make him increasingly hesitant to engage. His ability to balance explosiveness with precision showcased a high fight IQ, while his unpredictability gave him the edge in the striking exchanges.
Faclier walked Ngoka down in the final round, but continued to be disrupted by Ngoka’s striking. Despite showing signs of fatigue, Faclier remained resilient and traded until the final bell.
The crowd erupted with every clean connection as the bout went the distance, with Ngoka successfully retaining his title.
In his post-fight speech, Ngoka thanked the supporters before using the platform to address the ongoing GBV case in Ekurhuleni, calling on South Africans to collectively confront violence against women.
Check out MzansiMMA’s Instagram page for video highlights of the fights and results.
