He trained for half a year only for his first major fight to be over in four minutes.
But it ended on a good note for Cape Flats extreme fighter Faeez Jacobs, aka Troublemaker, who won in the first round of the Bantamweight Division at EFC 72 over the weekend.
Faeez beat his opponent, Tumisang Madiba, with an unbreakable guillotine choke-hold.
TACTICAL: Faeez overpowering his opponent Tumisang Madiba. Photo: Supplied
He kicked and choked Madiba before wrestling him to the ground, where Madiba stayed and submitted.
On Saturday, after six months of demanding training, Faeez competed in his first fight in the EFC 72 Championship held at GrandWest’s Grand Arena.
The competition was broadcast on SABC3.
Earlier this year when the Daily Voice spoke to him, the young man who grew up in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, said he turned to martial arts after being bullied at school.
Faeez battled with low self-esteem and as he moved around a lot, he was always the new kid on the block at school, where he was often picked on, he said.
Saturday’s victory didn’t come as easy as it looked.
PUMPED: The M.Plain ou eyes the Bantamweight title. Photo: Supplied
Faeez, who holds the Cape Town Metropole Kickboxing title, was knocked down during the first few seconds.
But he says his tactic was to stay down, giving his opponent the impression that he didn’t have a game plan.
However, four-and-a-half minutes later, Faeez surged back in a frenzy, using all the skills and techniques he’d honed over the past six months.
His manager and coach, Fidaah Edries, explains: “He is a striker. He didn’t fight for six months. He used the six months to better his Jujitsu and wrestling skills.
“Faeez was knocked down at the start and Madiba was planning to strike back. Faeez came back and took him with a rear naked choke.”
Faeez says his training paid off handsomely and this win brings him one step closer to his ultimate goal, the Bantamweight title, which will be on the line later this year.
“I feel amazing, I told myself to remain calm and ready, I was calm and ready and used what I learnt,” he says.
“What I’ve learnt in the training is to take down and slam, then using the arm and locking, that is Jujitsu. Then I choked him. Now I am going for the belt.”