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Fight week is here! EFC Africa 16 will be going down on Friday night the 19 October at the Carnival City Big Top Arena. Fight night is scheduled to be one of EFC’s best with a stacked fight card which includes 3 EFC Title fights. The most exciting and anticipated fights on the card is the EFC Africa Heavyweight Title fight between Ruan Potts and Bernardo Mikixi.
We caught up with both fighters to see what they had to say about their upcoming battle and each other:
Full Name
Ruan: Ruan Potts
Bernardo: Bernardo Mikixi
Nickname?
Ruan: Fangzz
Bernardo: The Black Panther
Age?
Ruan: 34
Bernardo: 32
Hometown?
Ruan: Boksburg
Bernardo: Lunda North, Angola
Move of choice:
Ruan: Any move that ends in a win.
Bernardo: Judo.
Fight record?
Ruan: 14 wins – 0 losses
Bernardo: 4 Wins – 2 Losses
Gym?
Ruan: Rupert Van Aswegen’s Boxing Fitness
Bernardo: True Combat
Sponsors?
Ruan: Rex Diff and Gearbox (RDG), Bad Boy, Musclepharm
Bernardo: Hayabusa MMA Wear, Moti
What has your preparation for this EFC Africa Heavyweight Title fight been like?
Ruan: I have had a long intense training camp for this fight as the fight was postponed for one month, so I reached my peak early and had to maintain it for a month which was no easy task. I trained in Las Vegas for 2 months and had some excellent training, sparring and preparation with some of the world’s best fighters and trainers. I trained with the likes of Cheick Kongo (UFC fighter), Oli Thompson (UFC fighter), Mario Sukata (BJJ Phenom and UFC athlete trainer), Dave Jackson (Muay Thai and MMA coach to some of the world’s best UFC fighters including Cheick Kongo and Rampage Jackson). I also trained with some of the world’s best boxers and boxing coaches, namely Wayne Mccullough and Christophe Mendy.
Bernardo: A lot of strength and ground training.
What are your thoughts on your opponents fighting style?
Ruan: Bernardo is doing well with his fights and is getting better with every fight he participates in. If he has raised his game enough though, that is the question and we will see on the 19th of October.
Bernardo: Ruan is very good and I respect him.
Have you changed anything up in your training due to this?
Ruan: I never really change my training for any specific fighter, all I do is work on my own strengths and improve on my overall performance of my previous training schedule and previous fight.
Bernardo: Not really – more ground work.
How do you think your opponent is going to match up to you in the cage?
Ruan: I hope Bernardo comes with a full arsenal as I would love it to be a great one for the crowd.
Bernardo: We are both good on stand up. I can imagine massive blows from us.
How often have you been training for this fight?
Ruan: I train every day up to 9 hours a day and that is split into 3 training sessions.
Bernardo: Every day since the fight was confirmed.
What is your strategy going to be on fight night?
Ruan: I always prepare for every situation that might arise. As in my fight against Andrew Van Zyl, I broke my hand in the stand up with the first punch of the fight and had to capitalise on my ground game to win with a submission i.e. I work hard on my stand up and ground.
Bernardo: Stand up.
What do you think your opponents strategy is going to be?
Ruan: I think Bernardo will like to stand and exchange but I know he also likes his hammer fists so am expecting it to go to the ground as well.
Bernardo: Stand up.
How far do you see the fight going?
Ruan: I have trained well for this fight and have prepared for 5 X 5 minute rounds as this is a title fight and I have trained for any length of time that will enable me to walk out with my belt and retain my title once again.
Bernardo: 1st Round.
How do you see the fight ending?
Ruan: I see the fight ending with my hand raised and my belt wrapped around my waist once again.
Bernardo: Knockout.
Who in your opinion is the crowd favourite?
Ruan: I hope the crowd is evenly matched for both of us as this will make for an amazing atmosphere and an electric main card.
How do you get yourself prepared for the fight on fight night?
Ruan: I surround myself with the people dearest to me and focus on what I am there to do i.e. the job at hand.
Bernardo: Prayer.
What song will you be walking out to?
Ruan: Unfortunately you will have to wait for fight night for that – sorry.
Bernardo: The Beast by Tech n9ne.
What goes through your mind as you enter the cage?
Ruan: I switch off to everything and focus on what I am there for. A win for my Fans, Family and Friends.
Bernardo: I always think of victory.
What can fans expect on fight night at EFC16?
Ruan: I can guarantee a night filled with electricity, great fights and an atmosphere second to none. I also think they will be in for an awesome main card bout where 2 heavyweights will go toe to toe to give it their all to take home the most prestigious title EFC AFRICA has to offer – The EFC AFRICA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.
Bernardo: For me to be the new title holder.
Any words for your opponent?
Ruan: Bernardo, let’s give the crowd an awesome fight and let them get their money’s worth and good luck!
Bernardo: I wish him all the best.
Potts vs Mikixi Fight Feature:
