CAPE TOWN – “If Torbjorn (Madsen) had to die, I would have retired.”
These were the words of Mzwandile Hlongwa, following his incredible knockout at EFC75.
The KO, which has gone viral on YouTube over the last couple of days, displays a devastating spinning back first in the opening exchanges of round one of Hlongwa’s middleweight bout against Torbjorn Madsen at GrandWest Casino.
The video has since taken the world by storm, but at that moment, Hlongwa (4-0) said part of the celebration was also taken over by genuine concern after Madsen fell unconscious to the canvas at the Grand Arena.
“It was an unbelievable moment initially, because Torbjorn is a great fighter, so to get the win is great. But when he fell down, I felt very bad after my celebration,” says Hlongwa.
“He (Torbjorn) sent me a message the next day and we started talking. He is a good guy and I was praying for him, because to kill someone is not a good thing. If he died, I was going to retire.”
Thankfully, Madsen is healthy and has been cleared by the medical experts after going for scans, and he recently posted a message on social media putting concerned fans at ease.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Torbjørn Madsen(@tcmadsen) on Nov 4, 2018 at 2:08am PST
With that said, Hlongwa is enjoying lapping up all the hits, likes, traffic and support coming his way after his incredible finish.
He even got a fight review from respected MMA analyst Robin Black in his world-renowned “One Minute #Breakdown” show.
“Eish, I won’t lie, I am getting more famous now, but fighting continues to teach me more respect and to always keep on praying.”
Hlongwa’s older brother, Khulekani – who defeated Willem Smith on the same night via KO in under 50 seconds – was overjoyed with his baby brother’s success.
“He told me: ‘My brother, you are ready for everything now and I am proud of you’.
“Remember, Khulekani taught me how to fight when I was younger,” says Mzwandile.
A devastating knockout by Mzwandile Hlongwa against Torbjorn Madsen at EFC75. Video: EFC Worldwide
The middleweight warrior, who fights out of Junkyard MMA gym in Boksburg, says that he wants to be the EFC champion before heading overseas.
But don’t be surprised if he becomes a musician too one day...
“I love music man. When I was younger, my family thought I was going to be a musician, I was always singing loud!”
You could tell his passion for music when Lady Zamar’s “Collide” lit up the Grand Arena at EFC75.
“I just want people to know that MMA is a good sport and good for self-defence. It is not dangerous, but it is tough, and you need to train before going to compete.”
@juliankiewietz