Vince Bembe Knocks Out Ashley Calvert in 40 Seconds in Dominant Display at Extreme Fighting Championship 98

• Vince Bemebe stole the show at EFC 98 with an impressive first-round knockout of Ashley Calvert
• Stefan Pretorious beat Khulekani Hlongwa for the second time as he secured a submission win
• Aureo Cruz secured victory in his debut in the EFC as he beat Amisi '4Faces' Kabeya by technical knockout

Africa’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, EFC put on a show for the ages when the organisation hosted EFC 98 at the EFC Performance Centre in Johannesburg.

The event featured some intense action and crazy finishes.

The opening fight saw Khulekani ‘Cold Steel’ Hlongwa take on Stefan ‘Mr Kick’ Pretorious. Pretorious won the previous bout between the two fighters.

Stefan Pretorious vs Khulekani Hlongwa

Pretorious dominated the first round and constantly tried to lock in an arm bar. However, Hlongwa was resolute in defence and fought it all the way.

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The second half started with a bang as both fighters exchanged big blows. Hlongwa appeared to be in the driving seat and attempted to mount Pretorious.

Mr Kicks held his own and transitioned into an armbar, to get the tap and the victory.

Aureo Cruz vs Amisi Kabeya

Cruz came out fighting in the first round and took Kabeya down to the ground. The Angolan MMA star looked like he was going to finish the fight within the first few minutes but 4Faces turned the tide.

The second round was all Cruz though as he took Kabeya down to the ground and kept landing shot after shot. Kabeya covered up as best he could but never tried to fight back, and the referee eventually stopped the fight.

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Cruz won by technical knockout.

Vince Bembe vs Ashley Calvert

Bembe produced the performance of the night as he knocked out Calvert in 40 seconds. Bembe wasted no time in landing shot after shot on Calvert, knocking him out with incredible hand speed and power.

Jaco du Plessis vs Diego Bandu

Arguably the most entertaining fight of the first four, du Plessis and Bandu put on an absolute classic. Bandu dominated the first round, walking through every shot du Plessis hit him with.

Du Plessis was bleeding at the end of the first round but never gave up. In the second, he targeted Bandu’s legs, a strategy that worked. He managed to damage Bandu’s legs, effectively stopping the power shots and meaning Bandu couldn’t press forward as much as he would have liked.

The third round was an even affair as both fighters tried to get the finish. The result had to go to the judges’ scorecards though, as neither fighter could be separated after three rounds.

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Du Plessis was declared the winner via split decision.

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Kabesa beat Nerick Simoes by submission to claim the belt he once held not too long ago.

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