CAPE TOWN - In preparation for his fight with EFC light-heavyweight king Champion Dalcha, England’s Stuart "He-Man" Austin seemed to be on top of things.
“I see holes in his (Dalcha’s) game, he is obviously very dangerous and powerful, but his skill set is limited,” said the Englishman.
On Saturday night at Extreme Fighting Championship 65, Austin’s words proved to be true ... especially the “dangerous and powerful” part.
Dalcha set social media and set Carnival City alight with one the most scintillating comebacks in the history of combat sport to once again declare his EFC domination and successfully defend his title.
In the first round of their five-round bout, Austin, a smooth-talking operator known for predicting exactly how his match would go, earned respect and stirred up plenty of anxiety within the hearts of Dalcha fans, clasping and blocking Dalchas fist shots.
The 1.88m contender used his reach advantage well against the Congolese warrior to subdue any threat, before mounting him.
For the rest of the first round it was the ‘He-Man’ show as he used his massive frame to position the EFC champion in an awkward spot before initiating a ground-and-pound.
The "Dalcha" roars got louderas the fans spurred their man on, especially when Austin inflicted heavy blows with his fists and elbows that cut the Cape Town-based fighter.
With less than 25 seconds to go, it seemed as if there would be a new Light Heavyweight champion as Austin hammered shots down onto Dalcha.
But miraculously, Dalcha held up his defence and remained conscious until the first-round horn blew. The ‘Champion’ was in a bad state.
Cue the craziest moment of the night ...
Going into the second - with a shattered face - it’s as if a new spirit entered Dalcha.
Barely one minute in, though bruised and battered, Dalcha initiated a massive Judo takedown and gave the Englishman some of his own ‘first-round’ medicine, laying heavy blows to Austin’s face. Only this dosage seemed to be more potent.
With cuts to Austins's face, the referee was obliged to call the fight at 1:48 seconds after the contender dropped his defence for a moment.
. @Dalcha_Champion SMASHES his way victory. #EFC65 pic.twitter.com/uPGrC2XQl3
— EFC Worldwide™ (@EFCworldwide) November 4, 2017
“Dalcha was a warrior tonight!” tweeted Austin in true sportsmanlike fashion.
“I think it should have been stopped in the first. I heard at least four warnings for him to defend himself,” said Austin of his first round domination. Many social media pundits shared the same sentiment.
“I wasn’t rocked (in the second round). I was just getting back into it when the ref stepped in.”
All Dalcha had to share was his love for his fans, family and coaching team:
“It’s all about hard work, dedication and never giving up. I knew I can win it. Thank you to all my people. I love you.”