EFC95: ‘Black Tiger’ mauls rival

By MICHAEL MIYOBA

Zambia’s Professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Robert “The Black Tiger” Simbowe beat South Africa’s Given Majuba at EFC performance Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa to win the EFC lightweight fight.

Simbowe won via a heel hook submission in the first round to get his third career win after eight fights. The win excited the former street kid who dedicated his victory to his late mother and to all Zambians. 

“Glory be to God. This victory was a dedication to my late great mother, my team, my family, my friends and supporters and my nation Zambia. We have won for the motherland. This one was for you!” Simbowe said after he was declared winner.

Asked how proud he was to have won with the heel hook submission, his second win with a heel hook submission, Simbowe said; “My performance was amazing. I thank God first of all because in the last two fights I lost, I was really trying to depend on my strength and this time I just said you know what, let me just work hard and put God in everything I do and I just realised that the mind is the most powerful weapon you might have and I was in control of my mind and put God first and my performance was topnotch.”

“The submission I used, I’m the only one who does that submission in the whole EFC and I’m the only one who goes away with that submission in the EFC. I’m the only one that loves that submission because it is the most dangerous submission and me winning in such a way is what makes my performance to be top class. I can only get better and better,” Simbowe said.

He said he would not let the win over Majuba get to his head by continuing to work hard to prepare for his next fight.

Simbowe, becomes Zambia’s first and only mixed martial arts athlete to win an EFC match three times.

Rob Simbowe and Given Majuba during their face-off

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