Julian Kiewietz
Thaiholics Fight Promotions is quickly becoming the go-to Muay Thai promotion in South Africa.
After delivering its ninth event on Saturday, the brand continues to grow from strength to strength as hundreds of fans and fighters from across South Africa descended on Cape Town to either showcase their ability or show support for their fellow practitioners at the Sunningdale Sports Complex in Milnerton.
This past weekend, the show lived up to the theme “Battle Royale” as 24 warriors from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban put their bodies and spirits on the line.
TFP9 had prepared 13 fights, but sadly, Zoë Klaassen had to pull out due to complications suffered during her weigh-in, leaving her opponent, Candice Lewis, without an opponent for their pro-am super-bantamweight challenge. The event consisted of six amateur, four pro-am and two professional fights, with three title bouts on the night.
The main event was one of the show-stopping bouts on the card, with professional fighters Shane Deacon and Thabo Chauke clashing for the WMO super-welterweight African title.
Despite the proposed length of five rounds, fans enjoyed a two-round spectacle.
Deacon was the aggressor in both rounds. He controlled the position and used his range to fire fast kicks to the torso of Chauke. Crisp defence, evasion, and a calm demeanour were key elements executed by the seasoned Cape fan favourite.
In addition to this, Deacon disrupted the rhythm of a determined Chauke by throwing push-kicks and feints to render him off-balance. Chauke attempted to land punches and kicks but was neutralised by Deacon’s clinch and was further kept out of range by Deacon’s distance management.
The TFP mainstay forced Chauke to retreat against the ropes, where he fired thunderous low kicks. The fight ended when Chauke failed to answer the bell for the third round, crowning Deacon the new WMO super-welterweight African champion.
The co-main event featured the professional bout between Timothy Steenkamp and Rafel Wozniak. This fight was a display of both technical skill and heart. Wozniak sustained two cuts from the elbows of Steenkamp but still fought valiantly.
Steenkamp executed a well-placed kick to the torso, which resulted in Wozniak’s knockdown. The fight ended in the fourth round, with Steenkamp hailed as the victor after Wozniak’s corner threw in the towel.
A fight bearing a “Fight of the Night” status was the much-anticipated rematch between Brian Ncube and Altaaf Armien, this time for the pro-am WMO featherweight South African title. After a hard-fought three-round battle, Ncube was crowned champion.
This was a cardinal redemptive curve from his knockout loss when they previously fought at TFP 7: Battle Tested. Ncube remained confident throughout the fight, showcasing technical prowess and composure.
RESULTS
Amateur
56kg Super Bantamweight: Paris Lewis (Domination) beat Madison Krause (Brothers in Combat Institute) via unanimous decision.
58kg Featherweight: Charlie-Hawk Vos (Thaiholics) beat Jayden Holmes (Elite Muay Thai) via split decision.
61kg Lightweight: Likhaya Hansie (Top Primate) beat Andre Delport (Thaiholics) via unanimous decision
63.5kg Super Lightweight: Yann Lenvo (Elite MMA) defeats Musa Ismail (BCI) via unanimous decision
56kg Super Bantamweight: Megan Brown (Thaiholics) beat Tyler Warrin (Elite Muay Thai) via unanimous decision
72.5kg Middleweight: Phillip Cronje (Monkon) beat Ali Nyerere (Iron Tiger) via unanimous decision
Pro-Am
67kg Welterweight: Nkuli Sibanyoni (Elite Muay Thai) beats George Thanathara (Thaiholics) via unanimous decision
95kg Heavyweight: Yusuf Gharbi (Pride Fighting Academy) beat Matthew Harley (Elite Muay Thai) via TKO in the first round.
WMO Pro-Am title
58kg Featherweight: Brian Ncube (Thaiholics) beat Altaaf Armien (CPT Wrestling for MMA) via unanimous decision.