Jessica Mouneimne and Alice Ardelean face off during the ceremonial EFC weigh-ins on Tuesday. Jessica Mouneimne and Alice Ardelean face off during the ceremonial EFC weigh-ins on Tuesday. Photo: EFC Worldwide
Cape Town — The Extreme Fighting Championship returns on Thursday with its first event for 2023 as South Africa’s Jessica Mouneimne and Romanian-born Alice Ardelean face off for the vacant EFC strawweight title at ECF 101.
These two athletes were to vie for the coveted title at the historic EFC 100 event, however, Mouneimne fractured her ribs in the lead-up to the fight, putting paid to those plans.
Mouneimne has been on a tear since signing with the EFC, recording two stoppage wins over Crystal van Wyk and Haidy Ahmed, respectively.
Ardelean returns to the EFC hexagon for the first time in four years and has unfinished business after competing in the second season of promotion’s reality show “The Fighter” where she was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Before packing her bags, Ardelean was unbeaten in the show with two wins. She returned to the fighting circuit with two more victories - her last coming over Jenny Line via TKO in the first round of their Battle Arena Birmingham bout.
Ardelean - a natural flyweight - is a dangerous striker with three KOs. She will be up against one of SA’s most cerebral fighters in Mouneimne - a student of the ground game with equally good hands and ground and pound, showcased during her devastating win over the Egyptian - Ahmed at EFC 96.
The co-main event sees Zimbabwe’s electric warrior Nicholas Hwende defend his bantamweight title against Potchefstroom’s enigmatic veteran Roevan de Beer, who is gifted a rare opportunity of a title shot courtesy of a late training injury suffered by the number one contender Musa Sethwape.
EFC 101 is the first of 10 EFC events scheduled to take place this year.
EFC 101 MAIN CARD
Jessica Mouneimne (RSA) vs. (ENG) Alice Ardelean [Women’s Strawweight Championship Fight]
Nicholas Hwende (ZIM) vs. (RSA) Roevan de Beer [Bantamweight Championship Fight]
Vince Bembe vs. Sizwe Mnikathi [Featherweight Fight]
Crystal van Wyk vs. Juliet Ukah [Women’s Strawweight Fight]
Johannes Rudolph vs. Martin Gcinumkhondo [Flyweight Fight]
EFC 101 PRELIM CARD
Shadrack Nsua vs. Mark Kamba [Middleweight Fight]
Shannon van Tonder vs. Tshepo Majuba [Featherweight Fight]
Kevin Pretorius vs. Elvis Ngwalangwala [Lightweight Fight]
Takunda Gorimbo vs. Nathaniel Komana [Bantamweight Fight]
Jesse Schaper vs. Mbiya Dieudonne Kalala [Bantamweight Fight]
Angelo Foloti vs. Elbert Steyn [Lightweight Fight]
Raymond Acutt vs. Zwelibanzi Ngema [Featherweight Fight]
Vince Nakana vs. Bheki Ngcobo [Bantamweight Fight]
Micky Cloete vs. Tyral Louw [Flyweight Fight]
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