PFC5 Pre Fight Interviews

Aside from the main event almost being moved to this evening by both Robinson and Hammond proving their hunger for that belt, this time around, we also tried a different approach. We asked each fighter to introduce themselves, talk about their game plan for their fight tomorrow night and what their plans were after PFC05, however, we did the interviews face to face at the weigh in...  So if some of their answers seem hungry, we can't blame them ;) haha.

Before we get into that, just a major thank you to the PFC team for always being so efficient and consistent.

The weigh in ran so smoothly, we almost forgot it was raining outside!!

 The vibe was pumping, the fighters were all psyched up for their fights and everyone made weight... well, almost at least :)

 

 

 

Armand Muela vs. Faradji Said

Muela (34), fighting out of Invictus, holds a record of just 1 fight, but confidently says that he feels no pressure in taking on a fight at short notice. Muela says "I have never met my opponent, but I have been training very hard and will prove that I am here to do a job". Muela say sthat he would be grateful to fight again after PFC05 and would like to thank his coach, Marius for pushing him to become the fighter we will see tomorrow night!

Said (30) fights out of PFC, with a boxing record of 2-0, taking 1 W by UD and another by KO, say sthat he has never seen his opponent fight but that's okay. Said says that he is ready, after 5months of training for this fight.

When asked about his gameplan, Said said: "I'm going to be the one controlling this fight, I'm going to work like a machine!"

Said goes on to say that he will be taking a break after his fight tomorrow night, to spend some time with friends and loved ones. Said would like to thank Neville, Angelo and Alice Adinall as well as his friends and loved ones for their support, Joseph Shinana at Mojo Boxing and BoxingBarbie for the interview

 

Carlo Schippers vs. Michael Clacher

Schippers (29) fights out of Tricore MMA, says that he is both excited and nervous to be defending his PFC title. Schippers mentioned that Clache is a good fighter, but that he is working on himself and is keen to develop his own already acquired skills. After PFC, Schippers will be defending his U63kg Cape Fight League title at CFL10. Schippers is grateful to have the opportunity to be competing on a platform where he is able to display his skills, develop himself and keep K1 alive in South Africa. Schippers thanks Neville, Angelo, Alice (the PFC team) for the opportunity to compete tomorrow night, as well as Boxing Barbie for the feature and his coaches and team mates.

Clacher (23) holds a record of 11-5 and fights out of Thaiholics. When asked about his gameplan for tomorrow night, Clacher said that he would be sure to beat Schippers upfront, and make sure that he doesn't make it a dirty fight.

Clacher adds "He's just another fighter in my way of getting that title!"

When asked about future plans, Clacher mentioned that he is set to go pro in August, before his transition to MMA next year and has future aspirations of competing at EFC. Clacher concludes by thabking his coach, Nic Radley, training partner, Ryan Siegelberg, his friends and family, and his girlfriend, who is currently in England, for always standing beside him and supporting him.





Ashley Robinson vs. Wade Hammond

Robinson (who asked me not to look at him while interviewing him... must be the hunger, haha), better known as the Mercurial (24) is originally from Paarl, fights out of Tricore MMA with an amateur record of 12-1, pro am record of 4-1, pro record of 0-1 and a boxing record of 1-0. When asked about game plan, Robinsons said

"Hammond is a cool guy, he trains with the best team mates... but tomorrow, we will see, it's not about who you train with, it's about what you train for"

Robinson went on to say that Hammond  is a technical fighter, he comes forward and is aggressive. After PFC, Robinson will be competing in a 4man Knock Out tournament at Ray's a week after PFC, and he happily adds that he will be doing this at 80kg, before moving on to compete at CFL a week later. Robinson would like to thank his coaches, teammates and sponsors, USN, Amy Carter, Jasper Basson and H&H trailers.

Hammond (23), or as most know him- Weet-Bix, holds a record of 16-7-3. With a recent move to PFA, Hammond trains under Matthew Leisching (boxing), Don Madge (Muay Thai) and Mike Mouneimne (Head coach and manager).

Hammond randomly drops "I'm on weight, I've been on weight my entire camp. I had weet-bix and some nice chicken before coming to weigh on". Hammond jokes on "Robinson has been dieting, drinking liquids and starving, hopefully he is able to refuel and rehydrate by tomorrow, he's gonna need it". Hammond mentions that with his team, they have worked on a few game plans, and he has worked extremely hard, without drinking for 8 weeks (hard to believe, haha). After PFC05, Hammond will defend his CFL U71 title (rumoured, against Robinson). when asked what his take was on fighting Robinson twice, he confidently said

"I'll beat him twice in a row, I'm fine with that."

 After CFL, Hammond will be defending his PFC title in September/ October (yes, that's what he said, HIS title), before moving on to work on his pro boxing career with coach, Leisching. Hammond concludes by thanking his team, PFA, and sponsors- GNC and Adiddas as well as everyone else who has contributed to getting him ready for tomorrow night, where he will display his gratitude.

See below for the full fight card:

BoxingBarbie would like to thank all fighters for taking the time out for interviews and would like to wish all athletes Good Luck for tomorrow night!! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @BoxingBarbieZA for live updates tomorrow night :)

Win Tickets To PFC05

IT'S FIIIIIIGHT WEEEEK!!!!

Mother city fight fans, be prepared to have your seats rocked as PFC Promotions raise the roof at the Goodwood correctional services recreation centre on Saturday 30th May!!

With match ups like Wade Hammond vs. Ashley Robinson, Carlo Schippers vs. Michael Clacher & Armand Muela vs. Faradji Said to name a few, the PFC05 fight cards promises to be one of the most stacked, most action packed fight card yet... And as we all know, when PFC promotions promises, they deliver :)


With that, we have a double set of VIP tickets for one lucky winner to experience all the action, ringside...

T&C's are simple:
1. Comment on this post with your predictions for the 3 title fights & mention the names of 3 sponsors
2. You must like both, Boxing Barbie and PFC Promotions pages on Facebook. You must also be following Boxing Barbie and PFC Promotions on Twitter (by clicking on the name, you will be redirected to these page accounts)
3. Transport to and from the venue will not be provided.
4. The winner will be chosen at random- likes and shares (on FB and Twitter) count in your favour..
5. The winner will be announced on Friday after the weigh in and will be subject to a photograph being taken and uploaded on both the BoxingBarbie and PFC promotions Facebook and twitter pages.

NB: all BoxingBarbie and PFC Promotions staff are excluded from this competition, as well as all fighters competing- you should be training anyway ;) haha!!

The official fight card can be seen below.

GOOD LUCK!!

Cape Town's Boxing Boss- Matthew Leisching

Ever scrolled through your timeline and noticed a specific friend posting videos and pictures of their success? We’ve seen the videos, we’ve seen the pictures… but now, we see the humble little guy behind being Cape Town’s boxing boss, Matthew Leisching. Well spoken of, and always praised by his students, Leisching (25) took the time out to let us in on his busy schedule, in and out of the gym.

 

For Leisching, boxing has been in his family since 1952. His great uncle won commonwealth gold and bronze in the Olympics. Leisching’s dad was also involved in boxing in the early years of his life. At the age of 9, Leisching’s dad took him into the changing room with one of Brian Mitchell’s fighter’s shortly before his fight.

Little Leisching, feeling completely in his element, asked if the boxing gloves were hard, to which he received a little jab to the head, followed by a smile. Leisching was amazed, and that was the start of his career in boxing.

With Leisching’s growing passion, he started training under Anton Gilmore in the South of Johannesburg from around the age of 12.

Leisching is currently the only boxing coach in Cape Town developing pro boxers “as I do not poach boxers, I make my own”. Leisching goes on to tell us about a pro boxing development fight night at The Side Show on Thursday 28^th May 2015. He adds in that “It is Cammando’s bill, he is promoting our boys from PFA”.

While Leisching admits that he doesn’t have much free time from the gym, he does manage to spend time with the people close to him, having some down time to just chill. Leisching has a gorgeous sister, Gina, who is a doctor... Leisching also has a pet cat… yes, tough old Matt has a cat… named Floyd (that just makes it not seem all fluffy and cute, haha).

Matthew Leisching with his sister, Gina Leisching

Leisching spends roughly 10hours per day (yes, really) in the gym, from training fighters to general clients and of course, not forgetting training himself. These training times include Saturday morning and holidays as Leisching pushes through weekends with a strong will and determination to get to the top.

“I have never sustained any bad injuries. I look after myself, because my body is my lively hood. I treat it like gold.” Says Leisching.

We asked Leisching if there was a special lady in his life (yes, I know… you’re welcome ;) we all know you would never have asked him yourself, haha) to which he responded “I don't have a special girl in my life at the moment. There’s lots of time for that… right now I need to concentrate on my career” (I don’t think he realizes that makes him even more attractive) haha, anyway…

Matthew Leisching with EFC fighter Don Madge

Leisching grew up around fighting, trained and sparred with a few of the best, but coaching has always been his path.

“I’ve never done anything else with my life except boxing” says Leisching, adding “And it’s something I’ll do for the rest of my life… Hopefully, one day, my name can go down in the history books”.

When asked about his role model, Leisching told us about Colin Nathan. “He is a great coach, has done what I dream to do and carries himself as the perfect professional” furthermore, he would be honoured to meet a few, or any of the “great” in the sport, “it would be a dream come true” says Leisching.

Matthew Leisching wrapping his fighter's hands

When asked about lessons learnt, Leisching said “The biggest thing I’ve learnt is no matter what level anyone is on, you can learn at least one thing from them that you can use to better yourself”. When asked about plans to open his own gym, Leisching said

“I will definitely be opening my own gym when the time is right, but I’m happy at PFA. We are a family.”

Leisching goes on to say “Mike Mouneimne, the owner of PFA, is very experienced and we make a great team. People think this is an individual sport, but it’s far from that”.

Being a fighter and having had one on one boxing sessions, I know that your boxing coach, becomes one of the most important people in your life, especially when training for a fight… In agreement, Leisching admits “Being a boxing coach is the hardest but most rewarding job around… Emotionally and physically” but leaves us with the advice: “Learn to believe in yourself, you could surprise yourself and the world”.

 

BoxingBarbie thanks Matthew Leisching for taking the time out of his busy schedule to catch up with us. For further details, follow Matthew on Instagram or Twitter: @MattLeisching

EFC 39 Results And Review

Firstly, a major apology for the delay. All technical issues have been resolved :)

EFC39... Where do I begin?

The Grand Arena kinda had it's roof raised as EFC delivered, yet once again, a smashing fight card!! The fighters clearly had a rule of the day, not to leave their fate in the hands of the judges... KO after KO, every single fighter got in the hex, on a mission to be great!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The official results are as follows:

Bout 1: Quaid Openshaw defeated Didier Nyembwe via TKO in R1
Bout 2: Mamoudou Toure defeated Sizwe Mnikathi via disqualification in R2.
Bout 3: Kaleka Kabanda defeated Mark Moleke via TKO in R1.
Bout 4: Cameron Pritchard defeated Pupanga Tresor via KO in R1.   
Bout 5: Joe Cummins defeated Marcel Teniers via TKO in R1.
Bout 6: Mark Hulme defeated Shaun de Lange via unanimous decision. 
Bout 7: Sibusiso Mdoko defeated Luke Michael via TKO in R3.
Bout 8: Irshaad Sayed defeated Oumpie Sebeko via unanimous decision.
Bout 9: Champion Dalcha defeated Yannick Bahati via unanimous decision. 
Bout 10: Don Madge defeated Regis Muyambo via KO in R1.
Bout 11: Gideon Drotschie defeated Tumelo Maphutha via majority decision.
Bout 12: Andrew van Zyl defeated Brendon Groenewald via KO in R1.

As always, there are fights that make the night one to remember, but on Thursday, we even went the distance of having fights that made us want to forget it ever happened. None the less, here are the reviews:

Bout 3: Kaleka Kabanda vs. Mark Moleke

If you're a Cape Town MMA addict then this wasn't a first for you, but if you're not, Kabanda made it his mission to prove that first impressions last. Moleke came out hard, determined to show Cape Town that he came to fight, but Kabanda was very technical in his striking. At the end of R1, I had declared this, a WAR!! Kabanda attempted to sink in a guillotine on more than one occasion, however, Moleke put his strength to test and refused to tap. By the start of R3, Kabanda had taken things to the ground, where Moleke had given up his back. Kabanda took full advantage with GnP until the ref called it.

Bout 4: Cameron Pritchard vs. Pupanga Tresor

There wasn't really much to say about this fight... I mean, one punch and it was all over. Though I can say that there was more to it than a "lucky" punch. At least from my angle, there was some pretty decent technique pushing through with the power behind that clean right from Pritchard. Oh, and #23seconds got trending on twitter :)

Bout 7: Sibusiso Mdoko vs.Luke Michael

This was quite the fight I'd say. I had expected it to be much of a "stand and trade" kind of fight, however, things don't always go according to plan and we understand that. Michael opened R1 with hard, solid and quick strikes, but the minute Mdoko dropped those punches, Michael was startled. Mdoko, very technically, landing every strike with such precision, used every situation to his advantage; throwing elbows from in guard and timing his shots. Luke managed to get in some GnP in R1, but not enough to put an end to it. Somewhere in R2, Michael stumbles and becomes sloppy, looking almost gassed. Mdoko took full advantage, unloading combinations but Michael refuses to give up- heart like that wins me over every time!! By R3, Mdoko still has enough in his tank to finish the round, but Michaels is so far gone, if not for movement and sloppy countering, the fight would have been long over. Don't misunderstand, Mdoko not fresh enough for another 10 rounds, evident in him moving across the hex, as if to give Michael some recovery time, cute. Mdoko gets back in and finishes up before the end of R3.

Bout 8: Irshaad Sayed vs. Oumpie Sebeko

Both Sayed and Sebeko waste no time getting into this. If you're a social junkie, you'll be fully aware that a lot of smack talk went into this fight... Oh, of course, how could we forget, and an actual smack from Sebeko to Sayed at weigh in as well, but Sayed seemed to settle the score nicely on the night. Sebeko attempted a guillotine early in the fight when Sayed gave up his back, but Sayed resisted, with a reversal and quickly gained control. When Sayed and Sebeko stood to trade, Sebeko delivered solid leg kicks, with Sayed creating a distraction before going for the TD. Sayed quickly gaining control again, and dropping technical knees to Sebeko's ribs. Sayed ends R2 with some GnP, but there isn't enough time to end it all. Well, in all honesty, Sayed most likely just wanted to return Sebeko's weigh in slap... and that he did, going all the way and taking the W by unanimous decision!!

Bout 11: Gideon Drotschie vs. Tumelo Maphutha

To be completely honest, I was deeply saddened by this fight. When asked at the post press conference what had gone wrong, Drotschie said that he had waited for Maputha to engage... and what if Maputha was waiting for Drotschie to engage? Well... I don't know okay, I was honestly really excited to see much more work being done by both fighters. I wasn't expecting a BloodFest, but I definitely wasn't keen on the SnoreFest either :(

Bout 12: Andrew van Zyl vs. Brendon Groenewald

The second quickest KO of the night, in only 32seconds, van Zyl dropped Groenewald and delivered on having "one gear" which was clearly shifted in before this fight. van Zyl reclaimed the HW title and Cape Town loses another champion.

Images courtesy of: RazzWorks Digital Photography

EFC 39 Preview

EFC has made their way to Cape Town and with medical exams done and dusted, and the weigh in not only raising the roof at the Market Hall in Grand West, but also being a total success, we caught up with some of the fighters and found out what they had to say ahead of their EFC 39 bouts.

Irshaad Sayed vs. Oumpie Sebeko

Sayed stated from the word go (or maybe even before then) that his goal was to become the champion. Sayed was scheduled to fight Demarte Pena for the Bantamweight title in June, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled date was moved to July, which falls in the month of Ramadaan. Sayed stated "As a practicing Muslim I politely then declined the fight and EFC was very accomodating and understanding about my situation". In a pre fight interview with Graeme Cartmell, Sayed said that he hoped Pena wins his fight so that he can be the first to beat him, when asked what that meant about his fight against Sebeko, Sayed said "It means I have to beat Oumpie to keep my number one contender spot"

In an interview with EFC, Sebeko said "I am coming to Cape Town to win. Then I will be the number one contender and will fight for the title and become champion". With Sebeko and Sayed evidently on the same mission, both hungry for the BW title, we asked Sebeko if Sayed's past achievements and titles meant anything to him. Sebeko kept it short and to the point saying "I have titles too, it doesn't bother me". When asked how he felt about his upcoming fight at EFC 39 with Sayed, Sebeko said "Sayed is just another opponent and person in my way to gold".

Champion Dalcha vs. Yannick Bahati

Unfortunately both Dalcha and Bahati were unavailable at the time of publication.

Don Madge vs. Regis Muyambo

Madge was unavailable at the time of publication

Muyambo, a young but experienced 20, when asked what his thoughts on fighting Madge are, said that opportunities like this don't come often, "I grabbed it with both hands. Don is one hell of a competitor and I am looking forward to fighting him this Thursday". With Madge being an obvious favourite (No opinion of my own mentioned here), When asked what this fight meant to him, Muyambo said "Nobody trains to lose we all have goals and we all want to achieve them. I'm very hungry and getting the W will do wonders for my career."

Tumelo Maputha vs. Gideon Drotschie

 
Unfortunately both Maputha and Drotschie were unavailable at the time of publication.

Brendon Groenewald vs. Andrew van Zyl

Before getting into what both Groenewald and van Zyl had to say, I just have to mention how surprised I was at their responses... Not only were they the quickest to respond, but they also both responded with warm and welcoming gestures- I think it was just unexpected because they're both very big and I have seen them both inside the hexagon :)

Groenewald, feeling good and ready as he ever will be for his first title defence, said "I am not concerned about titles, I am just competing to be the best that I can be". Defending his title against the once former HW champion, we asked Groenewald if that mattered to him the slightest. Groenewald said "I am not concerned about is, was, or could be... I am interested in the now and being the best that I can be... oh, and of course, good pizza" haha, at least I have one thing in common with the champ :)

With van Zyl having had the experience of achieving the very title he fights for tomorrow night, we asked how he felt about that. van Zyl admitted that experience is golden, but it doesn't mean that you will win, also stating that he is ready and excited. With van Zyl being Groenewald's first title defence, we asked van Zyl if it played a role in his game plan. "No, not really... Prepped as I would for any fight-super hard. I think BG has a good mental attitude, he won't be too phased." responded van Zyl, concluding with a simple "Let's see how it pans out".

Boxing Barbie would like to thank all the fighters who took the time out of their busy schedules to be interviewed and would like to wish all athletes the best of luck for their upcoming fights tomorrow night!!

Be sure to Follow us on social media as we will be doing live updates of the event, on twitter tomorrow evening :)

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Twitter: @BoxingBarbieZA