Extreme Fighting Championship
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Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) is a South African mixed martial arts promotion company established since 2009. It is the largest MMA promotion company on the continent of Africa and features on its roster professional fighters from across the world including the United States, Europe, South America, the UK, Australia, and Africa. The organization produces 10 live events annually. They currently have over 120 athletes exclusively contracted to the organisation. EFC events are currently broadcast in over 120 countries around the world on numerous television networks in multiple languages. To date, EFC has held 132 events (130 numbered events and 2 fight night events) and presided over approximately 1,000 matches.
History
EFC was founded in 2009 by brothers Cairo Howarth, Silas Howarth, and Calvin Howarth who are the present owners and along with Graeme Cartmell, who is the Vice President of Talent and Matchmaker, are the key people in the company. Prior to 2009, the Howarth brothers were great admirers of the UFC and would regularly watch UFC events through pay per view channels. This inspired them to create an African-based MMA promotion company modelled on the UFC which they named Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC). EFC's inaugural event took place at the Ticketpro Dome (formerly the Coca-Cola Dome) in Johannesburg, South Africa on 10 November 2009. The first 7 events took place at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg. From the 8th event in 2011 onwards, the organization held events in other major cities throughout South Africa which to date includes Cape Town, Durban, Carnival City Casino, Sun City Casino, Pretoria and Johannesburg. When the demand to watch EFC events grew, they signed television broadcasting and streaming deals with a number of media organizations throughout the world. Today EFC has broadcasting deals in place with Multichoice Supersport, SABC Sport, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, CSI Sports, DAZN, Best4Sport, and IB Sports.
Rules
Extreme Fighting Championship's rules were initially drafted and aligned by Marius Lotter, the then regulator for Amateur and Professional MMA and are based upon the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. All bouts are contested over three, five-minute rounds, with the exception of five-round championship bouts. There is a one-minute rest period between rounds. As per the Unified Rules of MMA, Extreme Fighting Championship only allows competitors to fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4-6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab. The referee has the right to stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position nor working toward one) after a verbal warning.[citation needed]
Match outcome
Matches usually end via:
- Submission: a fighter taps on the mat or his opponent three times (or more) or verbally submits.
- Knockout: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue.
- Technical Knockout: stoppage of the fight by the referee if it is determined a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself or by ringside doctor due to injury.
- Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as: unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for one fighter), split decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with the third for the other), majority decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with one for a draw), unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw), majority draw (two judges score a draw). split draw (the total points for each fighter is equal)
A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical draw, disqualification, forfeit or no contest.
Judging criteria
The ten-point must system is used for all EFC bouts; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. The decision is announced at the end of the match, but the judge's scorecards are not announced.
Fouls
The following are considered fouls in EFC bouts:
- Butting with the head.
- Eye gouging of any kind.
- Biting.
- Hair pulling.
- Groin attacks of any kind.
- Fish hooking, gouging as in self-defense and some martial arts.
- Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
- Small joint manipulation.
- Striking to the spine or the back of the head. (see Rabbit punch)
- Striking downward using the point of the elbow. (see Elbow (strike))
- Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
- Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
- Grabbing the clavicle.
- Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
- Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
- Stomping a grounded opponent.
- Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
- Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck. (see piledriver (professional wrestling))
- Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
- Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
- Spitting at an opponent.
- Engaging in an unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
- Holding the ropes or the fence.
- Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
- Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
- Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
- Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
- Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
- Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
- Interference by the corner.
- Throwing in the towel during competition.
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
Current champions
| Class | Upper weight limit | Champion | Event | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 265 lb (120 kg; 18.9 st) | Senegal Adama Diop def. Matunga Djikasa | EFC 132 World Sports Betting EFC Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 April 2026 | |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) | South Africa JC Lamprecht def. Mzwandile Hlongwa | EFC 106 EFC Performance Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 August 2023 | |
| Middleweight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) | South Africa Diego Bandu def. Luke Michael | EFC 131 GrandWest Grand Arena, Cape Town, South Africa | 26 February 2026 | |
| Welterweight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) | South Africa Zaakir Badat def. Ziko Makengele | EFC 113 EFC Performance Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa | 9 May 2024 | |
| Lightweight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) | South Africa Martin Van Staden def. Igeu Kabesa | EFC 120 EFC Performance Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 December 2024 | |
| Interim South Africa Adrian Sanchez def. Jeferson Pereira | EFC 131 GrandWest Grand Arena, Cape Town, South Africa | 26 February 2026 | |||
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) | Democratic Republic of the Congo Igeu Kabesa def. Nerik Simões | EFC 95 EFC Performance Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa | 16 July 2022 | |
| Interim South Africa Billy Oosthuizen def. Ken Sekeletu | EFC 128 World Sports Betting EFC Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa | 9 October 2025 | |||
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) | South Africa Faeez Jacobs def. Vince Bembe | EFC 117 EFC Performance Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 September 2024 | |
| Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) | South Africa Tumelo Manyamala def. Ntando Zondi | EFC 131 GrandWest Grand Arena, Cape Town, South Africa | 26 February 2026 | |
| Women's Bantamweight | 134 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) | Nigeria Juliet Chukwu def. Dayne van Wyk | EFC 119 EFC Performance Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 November 2024 | |
| Women's Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) | South Africa Amanda Lino def. Mariana Salles | EFC 123 World Sports Betting EFC Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa | 8 May 2025 | |
| Women's Strawweight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st) | Vacant |
Men's championship history
Heavyweight World Championship
206 to 265 lbs (93 to 120 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Ruan Potts def. Norman Wessels | EFC 9 Johannesburg, South Africa | 30 July 2011 | 1. def. Andrew Van Zyl at EFC 11 on 10 November 2011 2. def. Bernardo Mikixi at EFC 16 on 19 October 2012 |
| 2 | South Africa Andrew Van Zyl | EFC 18 Johannesburg, South Africa | 1 March 2013 | 1. def. Sors Grobbelaar at EFC 23 on 12 September 2013 |
| 3 | South Africa Ruan Potts (2) | EFC 26 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 December 2013 | |
| Potts vacated the title on 10 May 2014 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 4 | South Africa Brendon Groenewald def. Christophe Walravens | EFC 35 Cape Town, South Africa | 6 November 2014 | |
| 5 | South Africa Andrew Van Zyl (2) | EFC 39 Cape Town, South Africa | 7 May 2015 | |
| 6 | France Cyril Asker | EFC 44 Johannesburg, South Africa | 3 October 2015 | |
| Asker vacated the title on 10 April 2016 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 7 | South Africa Danie van Heerden def. Brendon Groenewald | EFC 48 Cape Town, South Africa | 22 April 2016 | |
| van Heerden vacated the title on 15 October 2016 after leaving EFC. | ||||
| 8 | South Africa Andrew Van Zyl (3) def. Elvis Moyo | EFC 54 Sun City, South Africa | 15 October 2016 | 1. def. Wessel Mostert at EFC 61 on 8 July 2017 2. def. Jared Vanderaa at EFC 66 on 16 December 2017 |
| 9 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Dalcha Lungiambula | EFC 71 Johannesburg, South Africa | 23 June 2018 | |
| - | United States Jared Vanderaa def. Ruan Potts for interim title | EFC 76 Pretoria, South Africa | 8 December 2018 | |
| Lungiambula vacated the title in December 2018 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 10 | United States Jared Vanderaa promoted to undisputed champion | — | 9 February 2019 | 1. def. Ricky Misholas at EFC 77 on 16 March 2019 |
| Vanderaa vacated the title on 4 November 2020 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 11 | South Africa Thabani Mndebela def. Matunga Djikasa | EFC 88 Johannesburg, South Africa | 14 August 2021 | |
| Mndebela vacated the title after signing with the UAE Warriors. | ||||
| 12 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Matunga Djikasa def. Vandam Mbuyi | EFC 98 Johannesburg, South Africa | 6 October 2022 | |
| Djikasa vacated the title after signing with Absolute Championship Akhmat. | ||||
| 13 | Réunion Anthony Morel def. Vandam Mbuyi | EFC 115 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 July 2024 | |
| 14 | Zimbabwe Elvis Moyo | EFC 122 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 April 2025 | |
| 15 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Matunga Djikasa (2) | EFC 127 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 September 2025 | |
| 16 | Senegal Adama Diop | EFC 132 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 April 2026 |
Light Heavyweight World Championship
186 to 205 lbs (84 to 93 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa J.P. Joubert def. Norman Wessels | EFC 15 Johannesburg, South Africa | 27 July 2012 | |
| Joubert vacated the title after he retired. | ||||
| 2 | South Africa Gideon Drotschie def. Danie van Heerden | EFC 20 Johannesburg, South Africa | 27 June 2013 | 1. def. Fraser Opie at EFC 25 on 7 November 2013 |
| 3 | South Africa Norman Wessels | EFC 35 Cape Town, South Africa | 6 November 2014 | 1. def. Dalcha Lungiambula at EFC 42 on 8 August 2015 |
| - | Democratic Republic of the Congo Dalcha Lungiambula def. Tumelo Maphutha for interim title | EFC 52 Cape Town, South Africa | 5 August 2016 | |
| Wessels vacated the title on 4 March 2017 after he retired. | ||||
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Dalcha Lungiambula promoted to undisputed champion | EFC 52 Cape Town, South Africa | 4 March 2017 | 1. def. Alan Baudot at EFC 61 on 8 July 2017 2. def. Stuart Austin at EFC 65 on 4 November 2017 |
| Lungiambula vacated the title on 29 June 2019 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 5 | Cameroon Simon Biyong def. Quinton Roussow | EFC 82 Brakpan, South Africa | 28 September 2019 | |
| Biyong vacated the title on 10 October 2020 after signing with Bellator MMA. | ||||
| 6 | South Africa JC Lamprecht def. Mzwandile Hlongwa | EFC 106 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 August 2023 | 1. def. Edson Silva at EFC 123 on 8 May 2025 |
Middleweight World Championship
171 to 185 lbs (77 to 84 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Garreth McLellan def. Jacques Joubert | EFC 8 Johannesburg, South Africa | 14 April 2011 | |
| 2 | South Africa Jeremy Smith | EFC 12 Johannesburg, South Africa | 2 March 2012 | 1. def. Darren Daniel at EFC 17 on 23 November 2012 |
| 3 | South Africa Garreth McLellan (2) | EFC 24 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 October 2013 | 1. def. JP Kruger at EFC 28 on 27 March 2014 2. def. Dricus du Plessis at EFC 33 on 30 August 2014 |
| McLellan vacated the title on 11 April 2015 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 4 | South Africa Liam Cleland def. Michiel Opperman | EFC 41 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 July 2015 | |
| Cleland vacated the title on 13 May 2016 after he retired. | ||||
| 5 | England Yannick Bahati def. JP Kruger | EFC 49 Johannesburg, South Africa | 13 May 2016 | 1. def. David Buirski at EFC 56 on 9 December 2016 |
| 6 | South Africa Dricus Du Plessis | EFC 62 Johannesburg, South Africa | 19 August 2017 | 1. def. interim champion Brendan Lesar at EFC 83 on 14 December 2019 |
| - | South Africa Brendan Lesar def. Garreth McLellan for interim title | EFC 80 Sibaya, South Africa | 29 June 2019 | |
| Du Plessis vacated the title on 10 October 2020 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 7 | South Africa Luke Michael def. Pupanga Tresor | EFC 92 Johannesburg, South Africa | 5 March 2022 | |
| - | South Africa JP Kruger def. Conrad Seabi for interim title | EFC 103 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 May 2023 | |
| 8 | South Africa JP Kruger | EFC 112 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 April 2024 | |
| Kruger vacated the title on 15 July 2024 after he retired. | ||||
| 9 | South Africa Luke Michael (2) def. Jaco Du Plessis | EFC 112 Johannesburg, South Africa | 8 August 2024 | 1. def. Siyaku Dumiso at EFC 125 on 3 July 2025 |
| 10 | South Africa Diego Bandu | EFC 131 Cape Town, South Africa | 26 February 2026 |
Welterweight World Championship
156 to 170 lbs (70 to 77 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Dallas Jakobi def. Adam Speechly | EFC 10 Johannesburg, South Africa | 1 September 2011 | |
| 2 | Brazil Jadyson Costa | EFC 13 Johannesburg, South Africa | 13 April 2012 | |
| 3 | South Africa Michiel Opperman | EFC 16 Johannesburg, South Africa | 19 October 2012 | |
| 4 | South Africa Dino Bagattin | EFC 23 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 September 2013 | |
| 5 | Nigeria Henry Fadipe | EFC 29 Johannesburg, South Africa | 1 May 2014 | |
| 6 | South Africa Adam Speechly | EFC 32 Johannesburg, South Africa | 7 August 2014 | |
| 7 | South Africa David Buirski | EFC 37 Boksburg, South Africa | 21 February 2015 | 1. def. Martin van Staden at EFC 46 on 12 December 2015 |
| Burisku vacated the title on 3 July 2014 when he moved up to Middleweight. | ||||
| 8 | South Africa Dricus Du Plessis def. Martin van Staden | EFC 50 Sun City, South Africa | 17 June 2016 | 1. def. José Maurício da Rocha Jr. at EFC 59 on 13 May 2017 |
| Du Plessis vacated on 14 April 2018 after signing with KSW. | ||||
| 9 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Gunter Kalunda Ngunza def. José Maurício da Rocha Jr. | EFC 73 Sun City, South Africa | 7 September 2018 | 1. def. Martin van Staden at EFC 46 on 12 December 2015 |
| Ngunza vacated on 25 April 2019 after signing with ONE. | ||||
| 10 | Zimbabwe Themba Gorimbo def. Luke Michael | EFC 82 Brakpan, South Africa | 28 September 2019 | 1. def. Lyle Karam at EFC 84 on 14 March 2020 |
| Gorimbo vacated on 29 October 2021 after signing with the UAE Warriors. | ||||
| 11 | South Africa Ziko Magengele def. Martin van Staden | EFC 93 Johannesburg, South Africa | 9 April 2022 | |
| 12 | South Africa Mark Hulme | EFC 102 Johannesburg, South Africa | 13 April 2023 | 1. def. Peace Nguphane at EFC 110 on 7 December 2023 |
| Hulme vacated the title after leaving EFC. | ||||
| 13 | South Africa Zaakir Badat def. Jailson Sousa | EFC 113 Johannesburg, South Africa | 9 May 2024 | 1. def. Luke Michael at EFC 120 on 12 December 2024 2. def. Segun Ogunnoki at EFC 124 on 6 June 2025 |
Lightweight World Championship
146 to 155 lbs (66 to 70 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Wentzel Nel def. Leo Gloss | EFC 3 Johannesburg, South Africa | 8 May 2010 | |
| 2 | South Africa Costa Ioannou | EFC 8 Johannesburg, South Africa | 14 April 2011 | 1. def. Alex Cheboub at EFC 11 on 10 November 2011 2. def. Adam Speechly at EFC 14 on 1 June 2012 3. def. Leon Mynhardt at EFC 17 on 23 November 2012 |
| 3 | South Africa Don Madge | EFC 20 Johannesburg, South Africa | 27 June 2013 | |
| 3 | South Africa Leon Mynhardt | EFC 25 Johannesburg, South Africa | 7 November 2013 | 1. def. Frederich Naumann at EFC 27 on 27 February 2014 2. def. Sibusiso Mdoko at EFC 34 on 2 October 2014 3. def. Don Madge at EFC 37 on 21 February 2015 4. def. Themba Gorimbo at EFC 44 on 3 October 2015 |
| 4 | United States Dave Mazany | EFC 51 Johannesburg, South Africa | 15 July 2016 | 1. def. Leon Mynhardt at EFC 55 on 11 November 2016 |
| 5 | South Africa Don Madge (2) | EFC 58 Cape Town, South Africa | 8 April 2017 | |
| Madge vacated the title on 27 October 2018 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 6 | South Africa Martin van Staden def. Gavin Hughes | EFC 68 Cape Town, South Africa | 31 March 2018 | |
| 7 | United States Dave Mazany (2) | EFC 72 Cape Town, South Africa | 11 August 2018 | |
| Mazany vacated the title on 17 October 2018 after he retired. | ||||
| 8 | England Joe Cummins def. Martin van Staden | EFC 77 Pretoria, South Africa | 16 March 2019 | |
| - | Democratic Republic of the Congo Alain Ilunga def. Anicet Kanyeba for interim title | EFC 86 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 June 2021 | |
| Ilunga vacated the interim title after signing with Absolute Championship Akhmat. | ||||
| - | Democratic Republic of the Congo Tshilumba Mikixi def. Cole Henning for interim title | EFC 100 Johannesburg, South Africa | 1 December 2022 | |
| Cummins vacated the lineal title after leaving EFC, while Mikixi was stripped of the interim title on 7 December 2023 after withdrawing from a scheduled title bout against Kaleka Kabanda at EFC 110. | ||||
| 9 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Igeu Kabesa def. Kaleka Kabanda | EFC 112 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 April 2024 | 1. def. Humphrey Mulenga at EFC 115 on 11 July 2024 |
| 10 | South Africa Martin van Staden (2) | EFC 120 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 December 2024 | |
| - | South Africa Adrian Sanchez def. Jeferson Pereira for interim title | EFC 131 Cape Town, South Africa | 26 February 2026 |
Featherweight World Championship
136 to 145 lbs (61 to 66 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angola Demarte Pena def. Leo Gloss | EFC 10 Johannesburg, South Africa | 1 September 2011 | 1. def. Wesley Hawkey at EFC 14 on 1 June 2012 2. def. Terrence Griessel at EFC 16 on 19 October 2012 3. def. Wentzel Nel at EFC 19 on 19 April 2013 4. def. Abdul Hassan at EFC 21 on 25 July 2013 5. def. Alain Ilunga at EFC 24 on 10 October 2013 |
| Pena vacated the title on 3 July 2014 when he moved down to Bantamweight. | ||||
| 2 | South Africa Boyd Allen def. Barend Nienaber | EFC 32 Johannesburg, South Africa | 7 August 2014 | 1. def. Wade Groth at EFC 36 on 11 December 2014 2. def. Wesley Hawkey at EFC 38 on 4 April 2015 |
| 3 | Scotland Danny Henry | EFC 44 Johannesburg, South Africa | 3 October 2015 | |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Igeu Kabesa | EFC 47 Johannesburg, South Africa | 5 March 2016 | 1. def. Hanru Botha at EFC 56 on 9 December 2016 |
| 5 | Scotland Danny Henry (2) | EFC 57 Johannesburg, South Africa | 4 March 2017 | |
| Henry vacated the title on 16 July 2017 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 6 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Igeu Kabesa (2) def. Pierre Botha | EFC 62 Johannesburg, South Africa | 19 August 2017 | 1. def. Calum Murrie at EFC 74 on 6 October 2018 2. def. Karlo Caput at EFC 79 on 4 May 2019 |
| 7 | Brazil Reinaldo Ekson | EFC 86 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 June 2021 | 1. def. August Kayambala at EFC 91 on 4 December 2021 |
| Ekson vacated the title after signing with PFL. | ||||
| 8 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Igeu Kabesa (3) def. Nerik Simões | EFC 95 Johannesburg, South Africa | 16 July 2022 | 1. def. Bradley Swanepol at EFC 99 on 11 November 2022 2. def. Vince Bembe at EFC 104 on 15 June 2023 3. def. Reinaldo Ekson at EFC 110 on 7 December 2023 |
| - | South Africa Roedie Roets def. Ayanda Zwane for interim title | EFC 118 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 October 2024 | |
| - | Zambia Ken Sekeletu def. interim champion Roedie Roets | EFC 121 Johannesburg, South Africa | 6 March 2025 | |
| - | South Africa Billy Oosthuizen def. interim champion Ken Sekeletu | EFC 128 Johannesburg, South Africa | 9 October 2025 |
Bantamweight World Championship
126 to 135 lbs (57 to 61 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Nkazimulo Zulu def. Charlie Weyer | EFC 27 Johannesburg, South Africa | 27 February 2014 | |
| 2 | Angola Demarte Pena | EFC 31 Johannesburg, South Africa | 3 July 2014 | 1. def. Francois Groenewald at EFC 34 on 2 October 2014 2. def. Cedric Doyle at EFC 41 on 11 July 2015 NC. vs. interim champion Irshaad Sayed at EFC 55 on 11 November 2016 NC. vs. interim champion Irshaad Sayed at EFC 66 on 16 December 2017 |
| - | South Africa Irshaad Sayed def. Cedric Doyle for interim title | EFC 48 Cape Town, South Africa | 22 April 2016 | |
| Pena defended and unified the title at EFC 55, but his win was overturned to a no-contest due to a failed drug test. On 25 May 2017, this violation was ruled as unintentional and Pena was then allowed to remain as lineal champion. Subsequently, Sayed was then retroactively reinstated as interim champion. | ||||
| Pena defended and unified the title at EFC 66, but was stripped of the title on 17 December 2017, after his win was overturned to a no-contest due to another failed drug test. Sayed was not promoted to undisputed champion, as he opted to vacate the interim title and retire. | ||||
| 3 | South Africa JP Buys def. Philippe Rouch | EFC 69 Johannesburg, South Africa | 28 April 2018 | 1. def. interim champion Luthando Biko at EFC 78 on 13 April 2019 |
| - | South Africa Luthando Biko def. Cal Ellenor for interim title | EFC 75 Cape Town, South Africa | 3 November 2018 | |
| - | South Africa Faeez Jacobs def. Nkazimulo Zulu for interim title | EFC 81 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 August 2019 | |
| Buys vacated the title on 17 November 2020 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 4 | South Africa Faeez Jacobs promoted to undisputed champion | — | 17 November 2020 | |
| 5 | Zimbabwe Sylvester Chipfumbu | EFC 85 Johannesburg, South Africa | 8 May 2021 | |
| Chipfumbu vacated the title after signing with the UAE Warriors. | ||||
| 6 | South Africa Cameron Saaiman def. Sindile Manengela | EFC 94 Johannesburg, South Africa | 4 June 2022 | |
| Saaiman vacated the title in March 2022 to compete on Dana White's Contender Series. | ||||
| 7 | Zimbabwe Nicholas Hwende def. Nkazimulo Zulu | EFC 96 Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 August 2022 | 1. def. Nkazimulo Zulu at EFC 100 on 1 December 2022 2. def. Roevan de Beer at EFC 101 on 2 March 2023 |
| Hwende vacated the title in June 2023 after signing with Brave CF. | ||||
| 8 | South Africa Nkazimulo Zulu (2) def. Musa Sethwape | EFC 105 Johannesburg, South Africa | 13 July 2023 | |
| - | South Africa Terence Balelo def. Musa Sethwape for interim title | EFC 108 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 October 2023 | |
| Zulu vacated the title to focus on defending the Flyweight title. | ||||
| 9 | South Africa Terence Balelo promoted to undisputed champion | — | 7 March 2024 | |
| Balelo vacated the title on 22 May 2024 when he moved down to Flyweight. | ||||
| 10 | South Africa Faeez Jacobs (2) def. Vince Bembe | EFC 117 Johannesburg, South Africa | 12 September 2024 | 1. def. Sibusiso Sovendle at EFC 122 on 10 April 2025 2. def. Trent Girdham at EFC 131 on 26 February 2026 |
Flyweight World Championship
116 to 125 lbs (53 to 67 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Nkazimulo Zulu def. Craig Ninow | EFC 43 Durban, South Africa | 27 August 2015 | 1. def. Sylvester Chipfumbu at EFC 62 on 19 August 2017 2. def. Magno Alves at EFC 71 on 23 June 2018 3. def. Gary Joshua at EFC 75 on 3 November 2018 |
| Zulu vacated the title to compete in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions. | ||||
| 2 | South Africa JP Buys def. Baldwin Mdlalose | EFC 54 Sun City, South Africa | 15 October 2016 | |
| Buys vacated the title when he moved up to Bantamweight. | ||||
| 3 | England Jake Hadley | EFC 78 Cape Town, South Africa | 13 April 2019 | |
| Hadley vacated the title after signing with Bellator MMA. | ||||
| 4 | South Africa Nkazimulo Zulu (2) def. Luthando Biko | EFC 89 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 September 2021 | |
| 5 | South Africa Luthando Biko | EFC 91 Johannesburg, South Africa | 4 December 2021 | 1. def. Magno Alves at EFC 96 on 11 August 2022 |
| Biko vacated the title after signing with Ares FC. | ||||
| 6 | South Africa Gift Walker def. Terence Balelo | EFC 107 Johannesburg, South Africa | 7 September 2023 | |
| 7 | South Africa Nkazimulo Zulu (3) | EFC 111 Johannesburg, South Africa | 7 March 2024 | |
| - | South Africa Terence Balelo def. Liridon Ramani for interim title | EFC 114 Johannesburg, South Africa | 6 June 2024 | |
| Zulu vacated the title on 24 August 2024 after signing with Rizin. | ||||
| 9 | South Africa Terence Balelo promoted to undisputed champion | — | 24 August 2024 | |
| 10 | Mozambique Edson Machavane | EFC 119 Johannesburg, South Africa | 14 November 2024 | |
| Machavane vacated the title after signing with ONE. | ||||
| 11 | South Africa Willie van Rooyen def. Kleberson Sousa | EFC 123 Johannesburg, South Africa | 8 May 2025 | 1. def. Anatolie Gafin at EFC 126 on 7 August 2025 |
| van Rooyen announced on 15 October 2025, that he was signing with ONE. The title was officially vacated on 10 November 2025. | ||||
| 12 | South Africa Tumelo Manyamala def. Ntando Zondi | EFC 131 Cape Town, South Africa | 26 February 2026 |
Women's championship history
Women's Bantamweight World Championship
126 to 135 lbs (57 to 61 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria Juliet Chukwu def. Dayne Van Wyk | EFC 119 Johannesburg, South Africa | 14 November 2024 |
Women's Flyweight World Championship
116 pounds (53 kg) to 125 pounds (57 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa Amanda Lino def. Jaqauline Trosee | EFC 60 Durban, South Africa | 10 June 2017 | 1. def. Rizlen Zouak at EFC 70 on 26 May 2018 |
| 2 | France Manon Fiorot | EFC 83 Pretoria, South Africa | 14 December 2019 | |
| Fiorot vacated the title on 20 January 2021 after signing with the UFC. | ||||
| 3 | South Africa Amanda Lino (2) def. Mariana Salles | EFC 123 Johannesburg, South Africa | 8 May 2025 |
Women's Strawweight World Championship
Under 115 pounds (52 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy Chiara Penco def. Danella Eliasov | EFC 67 Johannesburg, South Africa | 10 March 2018 | |
| 2 | Poland Karolina Wójcik | EFC 76 Pretoria, South Africa | 8 December 2018 | |
| Wójcik vacated the title on 8 June 2019 after signing with Venator FC. | ||||
| 3 | Romania Alice Ardelean def. Jessica Mouneimne | EFC 101 Johannesburg, South Africa | 2 March 2023 | |
| Ardelean vacated the title on after signing with the UFC. |
Tournament winners
EFC Flyweight Grand Prix
Four-man flyweight tournament for the vacant EFC Flyweight title.
| Weight Division | Champion | Runner-up | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flyweight | South Africa Tumelo Manyamala | South Africa Ntando Zondi | EFC 131 | 26 February 2026 |
Notable athletes and alumni
- Garreth McLellan: Former EFC Middleweight champion who was signed by the UFC in 2015. He competed in 5 UFC bouts from April 2015 until March 2017.
- Ruan Potts: Former 2 times EFC Heavyweight champion who was signed by the UFC in 2014 He competed in 3 UFC bouts from May 2014 until February 2015.
- Cyril Asker: Former EFC Heavyweight champion who was signed by the UFC in 2016. To date he has competed in 5 UFC bouts.
- Danny Henry: Former 2 times EFC Featherweight champion who was signed by the UFC in 2017. In his debut match at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio he earned a Fight of the night bonus. To date he has competed in 4 UFC bouts.
- Dalcha Lungiambula: Former EFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight champion who was invited to compete in the UFC in 2019. To date he has competed in 3 UFC bouts.
- Dricus du Plessis: Current UFC Middleweight champion, du Plessis is the former EFC Middleweight and Welterweight champion. Originally called up to the UFC in September 2020, he made his promotional debut against Markus Perez on 11 October 2020 at UFC Fight Night 179 and won via a TKO in the first round. Du Plessis was scheduled to face Trevin Giles on 20 March 2021 at UFC on ESPN 21, but had to withdraw from the event after being refused entry to the US due to Covid related restrictions placed on South Africans.
- Jared Vanderaa: Former EFC Heavyweight champion who was signed to the UFC in November 2020 after competing in the fourth season of Dana White's Contender Series. He was scheduled to fight Sergey Spivak at UFC 256 on 12 December 2020. However, Vanderaa tested positive to Covid 19 and was therefore removed from the event. The bout was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis on 20 February 2021. Vanderaa lost via TKO in the 2nd round.
- Manon Fiorot Former EFC women's Lightweight champion and winner of the EFC's second season of the reality program - The Fighter. She was signed to the UFC in December 2020 and made her debut against Victoria Leonardo at UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Magny on 20 January 2021. Fiorot won via TKO in the second round.
- Themba Gorimbo Former EFC Welterweight champion. He was signed to the UFC and made his debut in February 2023 against A.J Fletcher at UFC Vegas 69 .
Other EFC athletes signed to the UFC
- Don Madge. Former 2 times EFC Lightweight champion who was invited to compete in the UFC in 2018. In his debut match at UFC Fight Night 138 he earned a "Performance of the night" bonus with a knockout via a head kick. To date he has competed in 2 UFC bouts - UFC Fight Night 138 and UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier. Madge was scheduled to face Nasrat Haqparast at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad on 13 March 2021 but had to withdraw from the event after being refused entry to the US due to Covid related restrictions placed on South Africans.
- JP Buys Former EFC Flyweight and Bantamweight champion who was invited to compete in UFC owner Dana White 's Tuesday Night Contender Series in August 2017 and again in the fourth season in November 2020. After beating his opponent in the final fight of the fourth season on 17 November 2020, Buys was signed to the UFC. He made his UFC debut against Bruno Gustavo da Silva at UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland on 20 March. 2021, losing by TKO. He was 0-4 in the promotion with losses from Montel Jackson, Cody Durden, and Marcus McGhee, before being released from the promotion in October 2023.
- Nkazimulo Zulu. Former two times EFC Flyweight champion and current EFC competitor who was invited in 2016 to compete in The Ultimate Fighter which was produced by the UFC and Fox Sports 1. Zulu competed on The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, Opening Round, Day 2.
Reality shows
The Fighter: Season 1
EFC launched a reality TV show on 14 October 2017 called The Fighter. Housed in a villa in Johannesburg, South Africa, 10 male MMA Middleweight prospects from around the world lived and trained together, as well as competed against one another for a multiple fight contract and a guaranteed EFC title fight. They were split into two teams each coached by an experienced EFC athlete. The Fighter was broadcast on global television in 10 one-hour episodes. It was concluded on 16 December 2017 at EFC 66 with The Fighter title bout taking place between the two finalists followed by a bout between the two coaches
| Season | Date | Weight class | Winner | Runner-up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fighter: Season 1 | 14 October 2017 | Middleweight | Brendan Lesar | Ibrahima Mane |
The Fighter: Season 2
Following the success and positive reception to The Fighter: Season 1, EFC launched The Fighter: Season 2 on 26 April 2019. It followed the same format as Season 1 but with 10 female MMA Flyweight athletes from around the world instead. They were housed in Rosebank, South Africa, where they trained together and competed against one another in a quest to win a multiple fight contract and a guaranteed EFC title fight. As with Season 1, the competitors were split into two teams each coached by an experienced EFC athlete. Season 2 was also broadcast on global television in 10 one-hour episodes. It was concluded on 29 June 2019 at EFC 80 with The Fighter Season 2 title bout taking place between the two finalists followed by a bout between the two coaches.
| Season | Date | Weight class | Winner | Runner-up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fighter: Season 2 | 26 April 2019 | Flyweight | Manon Fiorot | Mellony Geugjes |
Subsidiary companies
EFC owns the following companies:[citation needed]
- EFC Gym
- EFC Performance Institute