Johannesburg - Nkosi "The Future" Ndebele is extremely grateful to be able to step into the BRAVE CF cage again.
The South African MMA star looks to continue his journey to the BRAVE CF Bantamweight title this weekend when he takes on Indonesia’s Fajar “Macho Kamacho” in an electric 135-pound bout in Bali, Indonesia at BRAVE 66.
At BRAVE CF 64, Ndebele was going to fight Latvia’s Matiss Zaharovs before the latter withdrew at the eleventh hour after being declared medically unfit to fight.
It was a frustrating moment for Ndebele considering his momentum in the Bantamweight division.
“I am super excited to be here in Bali, especially after what happened at BRAVE CF 64,” says the number-five ranked Bantamweight.
“I was devastated to hear of Matiss' withdrawal," says Ndebele looking back on last month's event.
"I could not believe it was happening. I still had hope that he would be okay and be able to fight. The news didn’t sit well with me at all.
"But you know, I had to think about it and soon realised that, unfortunately, in this sport, these things happen. There was nothing I could do about it. I just stayed positive. Things could have also been worse, he could have stepped into the cage and something could have happened to him. So we move on and look forward to fighting again, and here we are.”
The African MMA star now comes up against one of Indonesia’s household names Fajar who will make his BRAVE CF debut on Saturday.
While Ndebele remains very respectful of his opponent, he feels that this won’t be much of a challenge for him, nor do any favours in terms of his title fight aspirations.
Fajar returns to the MMA cage after a two-year break. His last win was against his countryman Egi Rozten in One Championship back in February 2020, when he finished Rozten via elbows and punches. Fajar is a well-rounded fighter with three stoppages and one decision victory.
The Tiger Shark athlete is riding a four-fight win streak and he's keen on carrying that momentum over to BRAVE CF.
“Fighting Fajar is going to be good, but I don't think it's going to put me in the best position to say 'this guy deserves a title shot.’
"I'm not disrespecting Fajar, but he won't stop me.
“I'm going to make it look easy,” says Ndebele who is riding a four-fight win streak and remains unbeaten at Bantamweight.
Ndebele has set his eyes on USA’s Jose “Shorty” Torres as a challenger who could help him convince the BRAVE CF matchmakers why he should fight for the title soon.
“I want an opponent who is ready for a title fight. Who they (BRAVE CF) feel is ready for a title fight. I was speaking to my manager, and we have noticed that “Shorty” has moved up to Bantamweight. It is clear that he is also going for a title shot. He has been in the game for a very long time, he has done well, and he is a good opponent, so if they can give me someone like Jose, that would be good. Anyone willing and ready for that,” he says.
Ndebele’s last victory came over Colombian MMA star, Eduardo Mora at BRAVE CF 60. The former All-African Gold medalist has an impressive finish rate with a 60-percent stoppage record as he looks to continue his upward trajectory in the BRAVE CF Bantamweight division this weekend.
“I am confident that it’s a win for me this Saturday. I am going to the top, going for that gold,” he concluded.
BRAVE CF 66 will see three South Africans showcase their talents on one of the biggest MMA platforms in the world. In the main event, Chad Hanekom will vie for a shot at the BRAVE CF Middleweight title when he takes on South Korea’s In Jae La while the prelim card sees the return of Dansheel Moodley, who faces the Philippines’ Jenel Lausa in a Flyweight bout.
BRAVE CF 66 will see the fastest-growing MMA organization return to Indonesia after a four-year hiatus. For more information on BRAVE CF 66, visit www.bravecf.com.
IOL Sport