CAPE TOWN – Dricus du Plessis says that EFC’s new Interim Middleweight Champion does “not have a chance” against him.
This was after TF1 winner Brendan Lesar KO’d one of Africa’s MMA legends at EFC80 last night.
At a sold out Big Top, Carnival City Arena, Lesar shocked the world when he put to bed former EFC middleweight champion and former UFC fighter Garreth ‘Soldierboy’ McLellan (13-7).
Lesar (3-0), a “newbie” in comparison to the man who started out at EFC1 brought a big spoiler to the party for Soldierboy fans when he dropped a left to the chin of his grizzled opponent early in round one of the Main event to earn himself the Interim Middleweight Title.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/EFCworldwide?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EFCworldwideinterim MW Title in just his third pro fight 😮
Watch all the action from #EFC80 Now on DAZN 👉 https://t.co/j4BIUfmyff pic.twitter.com/wnJf7KIEXk
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA)
This now provides Lesar with the opportunity to dethrone former EFC double-division (current Middleweight) and former KSW Welterweight champion, Du Plessis.
“It was an absolutely amazing fight, what a fight,” said Dricus. “We knew when we came in here that Brendan is an unorthodox guy, he throws unorthodox shots, we knew he could land anything and anything is possible, well done to Brandon, but he does not stand a chance against me,” says Dricus (12-2).
“Where have you been after two years?,” Brendan asked Dricus. Dricus was set to fight Brendan after the latter won TF1, but due to his hectic schedule with commitments in the EFC and in Poland’s KSW promotion, Dricus did not take up a fight with Brendan.
Dricus also felt that Brendan was not ‘qualified enough’ at the time.
Said Brendan: I am not a 2-0 fighter, I am a 6-0 fighter. “A fight is a fight and I am not going to back down.”
@dricusduplessis has a message for the @EFCworldwide interim #Middleweight #Champion #BrendanLesar @IOLsport @IOL @ELocalSA #MzansiMMA pic.twitter.com/02vfSihFf1
— juliankiewietz (@juliankiewietz) July 1, 2019
The official EFC 80 results:
The fight between Warren Richards and Benjamin Mangala was cancelled;
Duane Jones defeated Tommy Strydom via split decision;
Serge Kasanda defeated Adrian Sanchez via split decision;
Djikasa defeated Ivan Strydom via TKO (punches) 1:47 into round 1;
Fafa Dwama defeated Sylvester Chipfumbu via DQ (illegal kick)1:03 into round 3;
Devon Cronje defeated Guy Mongambi via TKO (punches) 3:34 into round 2.
Saxon Delafield defeated Marcel Els via (armbar) 0:47 into round 1;
Luke Michael and Conrad Seabi bout was cancelled (medical reasons);
Manon Fiorot defeated Mellony Geugjes via TKO (punches) 4:17 into rd 3 to win the The Fighter Season 2 tournament.