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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTH Africa-based Zimbabwean heavyweight cage fighter Elvis Moyo’s exploits at Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) competitions have attracted organisers of the more lucrative Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Moyo, who lost last month’s EFC heavyweight title fight to South African Andrew van Zyl said agents from the United States-based UFC have been in touch with his camp and he is likely to trade leather in the US in 2017.
Better known as the Bulawayo Bomber, Moyo said fighting at the UFC would be a dream come true and he had already started training to keep himself fit, while waiting for his team to conclude negotiations for the potential American bill.
“At EFC (which has headquarters in South Africa) the purse is not that big, but when I fight at the UFC, I’m told the least I can fetch is about $30 000, which is about 10 times what I get for an EFC bill,” said Moyo.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that my team manages to seal this UFC deal. It seems the guys from UFC have been following me and they’re impressed with my style.
“I’ve been told I need at least two more EFC fights or one boxing bill against a tough opponent to convince them. I’m itching for a fight before the end of the year to enhance my chances of a life-changing fight at the UFC,” Moyo said.
He lost to van Zyl through a technical knockout in the fourth minute of the last round after the South African managed to mount Moyo, and from that position he was able to land some killer blows with his elbows, drawing blood from Moyo.
Moyo had looked set to winning that title bout having been able to land heavy punches earlier on his opponent, who was waiting for his chance for the takedown at Sun City, Rustenburg, South Africa.
Moyo now has 11 EFC matches under his name, winning seven and losing four.
Moyo’s victories were against Sors “Guru” Grobbelaar in his debut cage fight in March 2014, Wilhelm “Tiny” Strauss in August and Didier-Kilola in November of the same year. He also beat Lance Cerenio last year in February and also handed Vandam Mbuyi a defeat in December.
The Bulawayo Bomber exploded on Ricky Misholas in June and August this year before he beat Japanese mixed martial arts veteran Kiyoshi Tamura in the fourth round in a fight staged in Tokyo.
The Bulawayo Bomber lost twice in 2014 to Brendon Groenwald and van Zyl. His third loss was last year in June when he was knocked out by Poland’s Tomasz “Kredka” Kowalkowski after just 37 seconds.
Moyo’s last loss was to van Zyl last month.
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