The Barebones MMA Championship continues to grow from strength to strength following another successful show in Milnerton this past weekend.
Lyndall Sandenbergh and her team put on an 18-fight card — dubbed “Rise of the Queen” — that delivered on all fronts, from high-level martial arts to gym drama, as this amateur promotion regularly attracts people from different industries and all walks of life.
At the last event, multi-award-winning producer and DJ Ameen Harron showed up in support, and this past weekend, world-renowned social media star and businesswoman Nadia Jaftha came along to back her family, namely Tara Abrahams, who headlined the BMC 6 card in a Women’s Flyweight Title Fight, a first for the show since its inception last year.
MADFit MMA (Abrahams’ gym) stole the show, bringing home three titles and winning four out of four fights — a testament to the balanced, in-depth, holistic coaching and management system put in place by co-owner Don Madge and his staff.
Abrahams’ Dominant Grappling Secures Flyweight Crown Over Majiet
Abrahams was relentless in her pursuit of victory over Aayesha Majiet of Fighterz Inc, who showcased heart and grit, taking the fight to four rounds before finally succumbing to her opponent’s high-level grappling, which ultimately led to Abrahams being crowned the Flyweight Queen.
Heading into the fight, the narrative followed the familiar “grappler vs. striker” storyline, with Abrahams being a well-versed grappler (she holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu), while Majiet, the Rising Stars Kickboxing champion, prefers the stand-up side of martial arts.
From the first bell, it was clear Majiet wanted to keep the range, moving in and out with jabs, straights, and crosses. However, Abrahams’ timing was on point, eventually closing the distance, securing multiple takedowns, and going to work with her jiu-jitsu.
Tara Abrahams tries to lock in one of her many armbars in her Barebones Women’s Flyweight Title Fight this past weekend. Picture: Buntu Gotywa, MzansiMMA
Majiet’s Resilience and MADFit’s Historic Victory
She constantly asked questions with her grappling, testing Majiet’s resolve and attempting multiple armbars.
Credit must go to Majiet for her composure, even when it looked at times as though her limbs were contorted — often leading those in attendance to lower their gaze for fear of seeing Majiet injure herself. The Fighterz Inc. athlete showed warrior spirit, listened well to her coach, the highly respected Fidaah Edries, and consistently found ways to transition out of danger.
Eventually, in the fourth round, Abrahams locked in yet another tight armbar, forcing Team Fighterz Inc. to submit, awarding MADFit the submission win and making history in the process, an achievement celebrated by the gym’s fans, who made their presence felt.
Celebrating Abrahams’ Victory and MADFit’s Dominance at the Event
The beauty of the moment wasn’t just Abrahams’ win being celebrated, but the manner in which the crowd and everyone in attendance applauded both women for stepping into the cage after months of hard work and mental boundaries being pushed to showcase their skills, heart, and athleticism inside the cage.
Abrahams’ MADFit brothers — Dean van Wyk, Josh Bester, and Colby Robert Baxter — all flew the team’s flag high on the night.
In the Featherweight division, Van Wyk secured a TKO finish in round two against Ahmad Keraan of Legion MMA to claim the Men’s Featherweight Title
Bester was crowned Men’s Lightweight Interim Champion after beating Byron Sarjoo of Performance Institute (and the BMC Welterweight Champion) via decision.
Baxter put on a great wrestling clinic to secure a unanimous decision win over Andrew Hunter of Titans MMA in their Men’s Featherweight Contender Fight.
Shortly after the Lightweight Interim fight, tempers flared inside the cage when former UFC and PFL MMA star Don Madge and current EFC Middleweight Champion Luke Michael clashed inside the Barebones cage.
It was the boiling point triggered by weeks of online trash talk and chirps in the lead-up to the event.
Madge and Michael came face to face to confront each other before Madge pushed Michael, which set off a moment of chaos. Michael — who had been warned earlier in the day to remain calm cage-side — was then escorted out before returning to continue coaching his last fighter, Aku Okafor, who beat Legion MMA’s Ebrahim Oosthuizen in the Men’s Heavyweight co-main event via TKO in the second round.
Another special mention goes to Frank Ngoka of TroubleMakers Gym, who continued his dominance in the cage with a vicious first-round TKO over Performance Institute’s Ashwad Reid in their Men’s Welterweight bout. This was Ngoka’s first Men’s fight after he relinquished his Junior Welterweight title; the MMA community would be wise to keep an eye on this young man, coached and mentored by the highly talented South African star Faeez Jacobs.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has publicly declared his unwavering love and commitment to Queen Nomzamo Mdolomba KaMyeni, despite facing significant backlash.The couple officially tied the knot during two extravagant traditional ceremonies over the weekend.Their wedding festivities commenced with umkhehlo on Friday, November 7, followed by a traditional wedding on Sunday, November 9, as the King observes the Sabbath.Understanding UmkhehloUmkhehlo is a Zulu pre-wedding ceremony for women that occurs after the lobola (bride price) has been […]
