Cape Town — While South Africans are still celebrating Dricus du Plessis’ incredible Middleweight number-one contender victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, the EFC prepares to showcase the rest of Mzansi’s mixed martial arts talent at EFC 105, taking place this week.

EFC 105 launches on Thursday at the Extreme Fighting Championship PI in Paulshof, Johannesburg, with a new and exciting main event on the line.

Shannon van Tonder is out of this week’s championship bout due to undisclosed reasons and Musa Sethwape will now face former Bantamweight and Flyweight champion Nkazimulo Zulu for the vacant 135-pound title.

Sethwape has done well to climb the ranks with a four-fight win streak dating back to EFC 94.

His last victory came over Van Tonder at EFC 100, where “Bad News” did enough to secure the unanimous decision over the upcoming young star.

With both men at the top of the division, a rematch was in order, only this time for the title — unfortunately — Van Tonder will have to wait until his turn comes around again as Zulu aims to become a four-time title-holder.

Zulu got his first taste of gold in 2014 when he beat Charlie Weyer at EFC 27 to earn the 135-pound title. He then lost in his first title defense against one of Africa’s greatest athletes, former EFC Bantamweight champion and current Ares FC Bantamweight king Demarte Pena.

In 2015 Zulu moved down a division to win the Flyweight title when he beat Craig Ninow at EFC 43. He then went on a four-fight win streak before England’s Jake Hadley overcame the South African at EFC 78.

Zulu has had a mixed bag since, with three losses, one draw, and two wins. During this run, he managed to reclaim the Flyweight title when he submitted Luthando Biko at EFC89 before losing in the rematch. The EFC’s former king is now hungry to return to winning ways and will rely on his experience in title fights to try and overcome Sethwape, competing in his first-ever professional title fight.

In other match-ups, Mickey Cloete takes on Vincent Nakana in a Flyweight bout, Nathanial Komana faces TC Khusu in a Bantamweight match-up, Sizwe Mnikathi meets Prince Lolia meet in a Featherweight fight, Mark Kamba and Given Majuba will do business in the Welterweight division and Middleweights Pietie Coxen and Jeremie Tshibala look to enthrall the crowd when they square off in a fight set to light up the EFC Hexagon.

@juliankiewietz

IOL Sport