Kumasumasu ukulwa: Iyangenisa iMMA e-Afrika
Nakuba luselude ukhalo kodwa kuyajabulisa ukubona sanda isibalo saboHlanga noma abasezwenikazi i-Afrika abenza kahle emdlalweni wokulwa ngawo wonke amalunga omzimba owaziwa ngeMixed Martial Arts (MMA) nobukeka usabalala ngokushesha umhlaba wonke.
Nakuba zikhona ezinye izinkampani ezihlela izimpi zalo mdlalo emhlabeni kodwa kuyajabulisa ukubona senyuka isibalo sabakuleli lizwekazi abajoyina isikhondlakhondla sase-United States of America (USA), i-Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), eyasungulwa ngowe-1993 ngabalisa abayisithupha.
Njengamanje le nkampani ezinze eLas Vegas, eNevada, e-USA yengamelwe uDana White.
Nakuba zikhona ezinye iziqhwaga ezilwa ngaphansi kwale nkampani kodwa kulezi zinsuku uyathanda awuthandi, isilwi esisematheni u-Israel Molaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya waseNigeria nokho osezinze eNew Zealand.
Lesi silwi esiteketiswa ngoThe Last Stylebender singumpetha wesisindo seMiddleweight ku-UFC.
Kafushane nje, u-Adesanya wazalwa ngowe-1989, eLagos, eNigeria. Uyise u-Oluwafeni ungumcwaningimabhuku, unina abe ngumhlengikazi. Lo mndeni usuke wahlala eGhana. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ufudukele eNew Zealand, uthungathela indodana yawo imfundo yezinga eliphezu. Izilimi u-Adesanya azikhulumayo iYoruba, iNigerian Pidgin nesilungu.
Selokhu lesi silwi sajoyina i-UFC ngowezi-2017 kasiwazi umpentshisi ezimpini ezingama-20 esesizilwile. Kulesi sibalo ezili-15 sizinqobe ngomngqimuzo womlalisaphansi.
Ibhande leMiddleweight, u-Adesanya oke waba usomankomane waphinde wadlala neKick Boxing ngaphambi kokujoyina iMMA, walithatha nyakenye eshaya uRobert Whittaker waseNew Zealand ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi emqhudelwaneni i-UFC 243.
Ngemuva kwale mpi waklonyeliswa ngendondo yePerfomance of the Night.
Ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka lesi silwi ibhande laso silivikele okokuqala kuYoel Romero waseBrazil, ku-UFC 248 sanqoba ngamaphuzu.
Nakuba ebevele esezakhe igama u-Adesanya kulo mdlalo kodwa uzifake ezinhliziyweni zabaningi ehlula ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi isithenjwa saseBrazil uPaulo Costa endumezulwini yempi ebingenyanga edlule e-Abu Dhabi, e-United Arab Emirates, emqhudelwaneni i-UFC 253.
Ngaphambi kwale mpi kube nokuphikisana okuningi abanye bebelibeka ngembaba elokuthi lifike ekugcineni irekhodi lika-Adesanya.
Naye uCosta ubeye kule mpi engakaze ahlulwe ezimpini ezili-13.
Nokho ngosuku lwempi, u-Adesanya wazitshengisa ukuthi uyingqwele yangempela enqoba ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi emzuliswaneni wesibili. Ngemuva kwale mpi sebezwakale kaningi laba bethukana, uCosta ephoqa impindamshaye.
Kumanje le ngqwele yase-Afrika isohlwini lwe-UFC lwezilwi zekhethelo (pound for pound) okukhona kulo izilomo ezinjengoJone Jones wase-USA oyingqwele yeLightweight, uKhabib Nurimagomedov waseRussia ophethe iLightweight, intokazi yaseBrazil u-Amand Nunez okhonya kuFeatherweight nakuBantamweight.
U-Adesanya usendaweni ye-11. Omunye wase-Afrika okulolu luhlu uKamaru Usman wakhona eNigeria okhonya kuWelterweight.
Isilomo esinguMcGregor ongumngani omkhulu ka-Adesanyo sikweye-12. UMcGregor uphethe isicoco seWelterweight. Ngowezi-2016 wazibula ngeseFeatherweight kwathi ngowezi-2018 wanqoba walandelisa ngeseLighweight.
Mdlalo muni iMMA?
Lolu wuhlobo lo mdlalo olulwelwa eringini nokho engafani neyamankomane kodwa evaleke yonke indawo, ngisho naphezulu. Bakhiyelwa phakathi abalwayo. Abadlali basebenzisa wonke amalungu omzimba uma belwa. Uthi awufane neKick Boxing. Nokho lapha isitha sishaywa ngisho sesilele phansi. Nabesifazane bayawudlala lo mdlalo owenganyelwe i-International Mixed Martial Arts Federation. Okwamanje awukho ngaphansi kwe-International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Iyini i-UFC?
Yinkampani efana nezinye ehlela izimpi zeMMA. Okuhlukile ngayo ukuthi inkulu ukuzedlula zonke. Phela yiyo i-UFC eyayihlela impi kaFloyd “ Money” Mayweather ongusomankomane noConor McGregor odlala iMMA waseCanada eyayingo-2017. NgokweFast Comapy okuyiphephabhuku elishicilela izindaba zamabhizinisi lase-USA ngale mpi i-UFC yenza inzuzo ecela kusigidigidi esi-$ 1.
Lezi zinkampani ziningi eMelika. Kukhona iWorld Series of Fighting (WSOF) yakulo leli lizwe ephinde ibe negantsha eCanada naseCentral America. Enye yiBellator MMA.
Kukhona neJungle Fight yaseBrazil ne-One Championship yaseSingapore, e-Asia.
Lapha e-Afrika sishaya nge-Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) eyasungulwa yizelamani zaseGoli, zakwaHowarth ngowezi-2009. Iyona enkulu lapha e-Afrika njengoba inezilwi ezili-120 eziphuma kuwona wonke umhlaba.
Nakuba sekugqame u-Adesanyo, kodwa kungaba yiphutha ukungakuvezi ukuthi kuneziqhwaga zakwelakithi ezimvulele amasongo ku-UFC.
Lapha kubalwa ezinjengoFrancis Mgannou waseCameroon owaba ngowokuqala kuleli lizwekazi ukufinyelela kowamanqamu esisindo sosondonzima.
Omunye u-Abdul Raza Alhassan waseGhana olwa kuWelterwight nakuMiddleweight, u-Abu Azaitar waseMorocco naye oyibamba kuMidleweight. Ubuye alwe ngaphansi kwezinkampani ezifana neKWS, iSFC nakuWSOF.
Kukhona noDalcha Lungiambule waseCape Town olwa kuHeavyweight.
Kungena igama leNingizimu Afrika nje, kukhulu ukujabula njengoba i-UFC isayinise uDricus De Plessis waseHatfield, ePitoli.
Lesi silwi ebesiyibambe ku-UFC, impi yaso yokuqala ngaphansi kwe-UFC sizoyilwa noMarkus Perez waseBrazil ngeSonto, eFlash Forum, e-Abu Dhabi. Izondlalela eyosuku ephakathi kukaMarlon Moraes waseBrazil noCory Sandhagen waseMelika ku-UFC Fight Night. Lo mqhudelwano uzoboniswa bukhona kuSuperSport Variety 3 Channel ku-228 kusukela ngele-3 ezintatha.
