Diego Bandu dismantles Luke Michael at EFC 131 KNOX Legacy Series

A picture tells a thousand words: Diego Bandu silences Luke Michael after dominating the former champion over three rounds at the Grand Arena last night. f anything was taken away from Thursday night’s MMA event at Grand West Casino and Entertainment World, it has to be this: Cape Town is the Fight Capital of Mzansi, and it needs to be fed more high-level mixed martial arts events. Under the unofficial theme, “Cape Town Takes on the World,” 26 athletes stepped up, with a strong contingent of local fighters throwing down against some of the most exciting international stars from across the globe, including Australia and Brazil.

The only real disappointment of the night, however, was the EFC’s treatment of the local mainstream media, who were confined to lower-level arena access (C-Block) that included an obstructed view of the Hexagon, as we were positioned directly across one of the cage’s corners. We were seated among fans, which was manageable from the perspective of being on the ground and getting a real feel for things from a fan’s point of view. However, it was an unpleasant experience, as we were forced to balance laptops on our laps to file stories on awkward fold-back chairs, while also running around and entrusting EFC staff backstage to charge devices due to the lack of proper tables or power points from which to work.

On the morning of the event, the organisation “upgraded” media seats to VIP status, but this simply meant access to the VIP bar and stage area. While appreciated, it did not improve our ability to carry out our core responsibility: covering the event and filing on site while working against looming deadlines.