GFC 87: Success in Spite of MMASA.

It was a night that witnessed a reduced fight card – from 16 fights to 11 fights – due in part to personal issues but also in part to MMASA’s “newly enforced medical suspension rule”!

As the story goes, GFC were contacted on the Thursday before the event by MMASA informing them that 2 fighters – who last week fought on the AMMA card – were declared medically unfit to participate at GFC 87 due to the manner of their respective losses, this being the “newly enforced medical suspension rule”. We applaud and support this initiative whole-heartedly, what is highly puzzling is that yet again, MMASA decided at the 11^thhour to suddenly enforce their mandate, something that has been an oversight for quite some time. As such, this is the second time now that the “brains-trust” at MMASA have done their best to negatively impact the very sport which they are mandated to help grow and develop.

Please don’t misunderstand our intentions here – we are all for the safety and protection of our amateur athletes – what is deeply concerning is that GFC were instructed to abide by a newly implemented IMMAF rule which to both their (GFC’s) and our knowledge has not been documented at all here is South Africa especially considering that it was just a few weeks ago that the MMASA AGM was held without any mention of these new or any impending medical suspension rules. According to the Minutes of the AGM, the only topic mentioned in respect to medical suspensions is that a national database would be established and how this database would be implemented and managed.

That said, I suppose that many reading this now would think that this is yet another attack on an outdated and misdirected Association? And many of you would be correct because as much as MMASA saved two (2) athletes from potential further injury, they failed to look after another athlete! Zaidan West, who competed and lost by TKO at AMMA 3 last weekend, was allowed to fight at this weekend’s GFC 87 event. Oversight or gross mismanagement, you decide, especially when one considers that MMASA had a sanctioning official at both events!

Enough said about mismanagement and ineptitude. The fights at GFC 87 were nothing short of explosive and entertaining with nine (9) athletes making their amateur MMA debuts. Add to that the fact that of the 11 bouts on display only one (1) needed to go to the judges.

Below are the results of the bouts concluded at GFC 87;

Fight 1: Tyrone Platt def Jaco Nel via 1^stRnd submission (RNC) (LHW)

Fight 2: Brandon Wesson def Litha Madikiza by DQ in Rnd 2 due to an illegal knee (FW)

Fight 3: Tommy Cato def Carlos Visagie via 1^stRnd verbal submission (WW)

Fight 4: Bongiwe Ngcobo def Phelani Zuma via 2^ndRnd submission (RNC) (LW)

Fight 5: Courtney Johnson def Nikita Kleber via 1^stRnd TKO (FlyW)

Fight 6: Jade van der Korff def Zaidan West via 1^stRnd submission (Guillotine) (FlyW)

Fight 7: Ethan Minnie def Dillion Schoeman via 1^stRnd submission (RNC) (LHW)

Fight 8: Jordan Chetty def Taylor Louw via 2^ndRnd Submission (Anaconda) (BW)

Fight 9: Guide Moyo def Johannes Sehume (LW) by UD

Fight 10: Vuyu Jula def Clint Louw via 2^ndRnd submission (RNC) for the Flyweight Title

Fight 11: Shannon van Tonder def Chris le Roux via 1^stRnd TKO to retain the Lightweight Title