By Caoilte de Barra
South Africa welcomed Amateur MMA back with the MMASA National Championship.
The tournament was held over three days, beginning on the 9th of April and concluding on the 11th of April. All three days were streamed live and can be watched back on the Alpha MMA YouTube channel.
Both Senior, Junior and Youth Tournaments were held, the winners of each category will go on to represent South Africa at the next IMMAF event.
Previous South Africa representatives were in action across the three days. 2018 Africa Open Gold Medalist Cassandra Le Roux was victorious in her pursuit of gold, overcoming Aneesha Mayman in the final.
2019 IMMAF-WMMAA Africa Open Gold Medalist Peace Nguphane added another gold medal to his collection. He had a notable run of finishes during the Africa Open and was unfortunate not to continue this run in his sole World Championships appearance. His ability to finish fights was also on show at the MMASA Amateur Championships when he secured a 1st round KO/TKO over Philani Mbuyazi on the opening day of the competition.
IMMAF President Kerrith Brown was pleased to see amateur MMA return to the region and hopes that there will be more competitions held in surrounding areas soon.
Brown said: “It’s fantastic to see the expansion in traction and reach of amateur MMA in South Africa with the Nationals drawing talent from across the nation’s provinces, deepening the talent pool and broadening the range of competitive experience faced by competitors.
“MMASA has been moving from strength to strength in all areas of its administration despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic over the past year. It is exciting to see competition back underway in South Africa and we look forward to welcoming their national team at the 2021 Worlds in Kazakhstan in the autumn.”
SA NATIONAL 2021 RESULTS
FEMALE SENIOR DIVISION
STRAWWEIGHT
GOLD – CASSANDRA LE ROUX
SILVER – ANEESHA MAYMAN
BRONZE – BIANCA STANDER JESSICA
BRONZE –
FLYWEIGHT
GOLD – NICOLE VAN WYK
SILVER – NADIA TERBLANCH
BRONZE – CARLA – MARIE CARRIERE
BRONZE –
BANTAMWEIGHT
GOLD – PEYTON LETCHER
SILVER – MISCKA LAUBSCHER
FEATHERWEIGHT
GOLD – DAYNE VAN WYK
SILVER – WILMARI ALBERTS
LIGHTWEIGHT
GOLD – DEMI-LEE VAN ZYL
SILVER – CHELESE HUBNER
BRONZE – LONDIWE HADEBE
BRONZE –
MALE SENIOR DIVISION
STRAWWEIGHT
GOLD – CLINT LOUW
SILVER – TYRAL LOUW
FLYWEIGHT
GOLD – VUYO JULA
SILVER – PHILANI SHABALALA
BRONZE – MATHYS DU RANDT
BANTAMWEIGHT
GOLD – MPUMELELO MNGOMA
SILVER – SIPHO MLABA
BRONZE – SAM HOMAN
FEATHERWEIGHT
GOLD – NATHANIAL KOMANA
SILVER – KYLE SHAM
BRONZE – JESSE SCHAPER
BRONZE – SIPHO GIFT ZINTO
LIGHTWEIGHT
GOLD – FRANCIOS MEYER
SILVER – ALLISTAR KUNENE
BRONZE – ABDUR RAHMAAN
BRONZE – KEVIN PRETORIUS
WELTERWEIGHT
GOLD – PEACE NGUPHANE
SILVER – LESLEY JACQUELIN
BRONZE – CHARL ADAMS
BRONZE – SAREL DU PLESSIS
MIDDLEWEIGHT
GOLD – KHAYA NTOMBELA
SILVER – NKOSI MPAKATI
BRONZE – TONY KILLIAN
BRONZE – ESTEBAN VAN DER BERG
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
GOLD – IRSHAD PARAK
SILVER – QINTON MALQUENA
HEAVYWEIGHT
GOLD – ANDILE MADLALA
SILVER – WAYNE STRYDOM
MALE JUNIOR DIVISION
FLYWEIGHT
GOLD –TERRANCE BALELO
SILVER – KGAUGELO MOITSHELA
BRONZE – LUCAN BOTHA
BRONZE – SIYANDA VILAKAZI
BANTAMWEIGHT
GOLD – TEBATSO MDELE
SILVER – ORDAN IMMINK
BRONZE – PHUMELELA KHOMO
BRONZE
FEATHERWEIGHT
GOLD – JASON MACKAY
SILVER – ALEXANDROS CHRISTODOULOU
BRONZE – AKHIL LALLMAN
BRONZE – BENJAMIN SWARMERS
LIGHTWEIGHT
GOLD – SIBUSISO SOVENDLE
SILVER – SABELO MAGUDULELA
BRONZE – MHLENIPHENI SANYWENI
WELTERWEIGHT
GOLD – CAMERON COULSON
SILVER –DANIEL HACK
BRONZE –DUKE JACKSON
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
GOLD – MUHAMMED MALL
SILVER – BLAYDEN LA GRANGE
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
GOLD – ALEX VAN STADEN
SILVER – HANNES MULLER
FEMALE JUNIOR DIVISION
FLYWEIGHT
GOLD – NICOLE VAN WYK
FEATHERWEIGHT
GOLD – DAYNE VAN WYK
LIGHTWEIGHT
GOLD – DEMI LEE VAN ZYL
YOUTH C DIVISION (12-13YEAR) FEMALE
44 KG
GOLD – KIARA WILLEMSE
YOUTH C DIVISION (12-13YEAR) MALE
37 KG
GOLD – BHUBEZI KRUGER
SILVER – MIKAEEL SACHOO
40 KG
GOLD – SIDNEY WHATLEY
SILVER – ZISHAAN JAPIE
44 KG
GOLD – CARLOS VISSER
SILVER – TOUFEEQ KHAN
48 KG
GOLD – DARIUS DEKKER
SILVER – UMAR EDWARS
BRONZE – ALBERT COETZER
62 KG
GOLD – JADEN GRAAFF
SILVER –NATHAN RABE
68 KG
GOLD – JUSTIN WALKER
SILVER -RYAN GOVENDER
YOUTH B DIVISION (14-15YEAR)
40/44 KG
GOLD – KAYDEN WESSON
SILVER – TAYE DRUCHEN
48KG
GOLD – COENRAD LAMPRECHT
SILVER – CHRISTIAN SCHWEGLER
52KG
GOLD – RJ FOURIE
SILVER – DEACON TRAY OESCHGER
57KG
GOLD – CJ FOURIE
SILVER – ZISHAAN JAPIE
BRONZE – LIAM SCHWEGLER
BRONZE – JACQUES KHUN
62KG
GOLD – REESE LAGESEN
SILVER – SCHALK KRUGER
72KG
GOLD – DILLAN VAN GRAAN
SILVER – VOUGHN PRETORIUS
.+72KG
GOLD – BJORN VAN TONDER
SILVER – CORBIN HARLE
BRONZE – DIAGO FAILLO
YOUTH A FEMALE DIVISION (16-17YEAR)
FLYWEIGHT
GOLD – KYLA MEYER
SILVER – LISA JANSE VAN RENSBURG
BANTAMWEIGHT
GOLD – CARISSA BOTHA
SILVER – AMY MORGAN OESCHA
FEATHERWEIGHT
GOLD – LALIQUE VAN LOGGENREN
SILVER – MICHAELA PIETERSE
LIGHTWEIGHT
GOLD – LALIQUE VAN LOGGENREN
SILVER – DOMINIQUE HARTMAN
YOUTH A MALE DIVISION (16-17YEAR)
BANTAMWEIGHT
GOLD – NICO VAN DER MERWE
SILVER – BANELE NXUMALO
BRONZE – BENNIE FOURIE
FEATHERWEIGHT
GOLD – BANELE NXUMALO
SILVER – KENNETH GOLDEN
LIGHTWEIGHT
GOLD – MATTHEW COETZEE
SILVER – ANGELO CHRISTODOULOU
BRONZE – LUMAY VAN DER WALTSLEBEN
BRONZE – EMRICK HERMAN
WELTERWEIGHT
GOLD – ANDREW RETIEF
SILVER – BRANDON DE KOCK
MIDDLEWEIGHT
GOLD – JUANDRE COXEN
SILVER – KENAN STEVENSON
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
GOLD – STEVEN ENGELSMAN
