Dangerous
middleweight contender Jeremy Smith (10-1) defeated Liam Cleland in his EFC
Africa debut. With a very impressive resume and a win in the EFC Hexagon under
his belt, this was enough to earn the infamous Pitbull a shot at the EFC
Middleweight belt. Standing in his way, however was EFC Middleweight Champion
Garreth McLellan (6-1), who had put together 5 straight wins in the Hexagon and
was looking formidable at 84kg. The contrast of styles both in the Hexagon and
in personality made this match an exciting one, and with months to prepare, it
was being billed as the biggest fight on African soil. EFC 12 couldn't come soon enough.
Garreth McLellan vs Jeremy Smith Promo Video
McLellan
vs Smith – Tale of the tape
Garreth McLellan
|
Jeremy Smith
|
|
Nationality:
|
South African
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South African
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Age:
|
30
|
27
|
Weight:
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83kg
|
83kg
|
Height:
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185cm
|
177cm
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Reach:
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70cm
|
63cm
|
McLellan
came into the fight with both a height and reach advantage. This was very
noticeable in the Hexagon as he towered over Smith. They did however weigh
virtually the same, and the extra muscle was noticeable on the Pitbull, who
looked his usual powerful self.
From
the very beginning there was a camaraderie between the two fighters, the smack
talk clearly being left outside the
Hexagon. When brought together for the pre-fight briefing, they touched gloves
and wished each other luck in a showing that resembled old friends more than
bitter rivals.
The
opening bell too, saw them touching gloves and then the action began. Jeremy
Smith looked calm as he pressed the action, stalking McLellan around the
Hexagon. After a few brief exchanges, the two clinched and began to work away
on each other’s bodies, this was to be the story of round one. Soldierboy did
manage some spectacular Judo throws, which scored him valuable points, and
would have gone a long way to increasing his confidence, had Smith not used his
incredible power and technique to roll out of danger and often end up in the
dominant position. Smith I felt got the better of the exchanges and landed the
bigger shots, and I chalked round 1 in his favour. My score: 10-9 Jeremy Smith.
Round
two saw the fighters immediately returning to work on wearing each other down.
Both McLellan and Smith worked the legs nicely, landing some vicious leg kicks.
The highlight of the round was when Garreth McLellan managed to take Smith’s
back, sinking in both hooks and working for a rear naked choke. Smith defended
brilliantly and never looked uncomfortable, his patience paid off as he was
able to escape the position and return to his feet. Still, McLellan did enough
in this round to take it.. My score:19-19.
Round
three seemed very much like a recovery round for Smith, who stopped pressing
the action and held back waiting for Soldierboy to engage. A much slower round,
McLellan refused to play the Pitbull’s game and continued to pepper him with
shots from a distance. A late flurry from Smith did enough to tie the round up
and keep the scoreboard neutral. My score: 29-29.
Round
four saw Jeremy returning to his aggressive ways and he pressed the action once
more. An early kick was caught by Soldierboy, who immediately went in for the
take down. Smith however reacted quickly, closing a guillotine choke around
McLellan’s neck and freeing his legs to take full guard. The effort put into
the submission was evident on Smith’s face and body as he forced himself to
crank the choke... seconds later Garreth McLellan tapped out. It was all over,
Jeremy “The Pitbull” Smith is the new EFC Africa Middleweight Champion!
Jeremy
Smith was humble in victory, as was Garreth McLellan in defeat, showing what
true champions they both are. As fighters however, I was more impressed. Jeremy
Smith showed his experience and was composed throughout the fight, even when he
was in adverse situations. Garreth McLellan, having not had many tough fights
to date and comparatively inexperienced, impressed me immensely by managing to hold his
own with one of the best and most experienced fighters in the country. I think
this will go a long way to helping Garreth McLellan evolve as a fighter and I
am certain we will see him challenging for the belt again in the near future.
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