The event EFC 131: Knox Legacy Series was held on Feb. 26, 2026, inside the GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World complex in Cape Town. On the main card was Luke Michael vs Diego Bandu, and it was a night to remember.
Luke Michael, the defending champion, began by pressuring early with forward movement, looking to close distance and land power hooks and leg kicks.
Bandu, the challenger, used lateral movement and feints, bouncing out of range and landing kicks to the thigh and body to disrupt Michael’s rhythm. Both fighters had brief clinch exchanges against the cage,Michael tried takedowns, but Bandu defended well, landing short rights as Michael reset.
Bandu’s body work started to wear on Michael’s stance, forcing slight hesitation on his strikes.
Early in round 3, Bandu opened up with a series of stiff kicks and landed two clean knees to Michael’s midsection, visibly slowing him.
Michael attempted a level change for a takedown, but Bandu stuffed it and quickly separated.
Bandu punched through the guard, mixing combinations that backed Michael up.
A sharp knee to the body followed by heavy punches, forced the referee to step in at 2:57, handing Bandu the TKO and the middleweight title.
In the co-main event of EFC 131, Fazeez Jacobs faced Trent Girdham, and it was a heavy onslaught. Both fighters started aggressively; Jacobs used sharp jabs and low kicks to establish distance, while Girdham fired power hooks looking to land one big strike. Girdham’s reach advantage came into play early, but Jacobs closed the distance well and landed cleaner combinations.
In round 2, Jacobs began asserting control, pressuring Girdham against the cage and mixing body shots with inside leg kicks. Girdham landed a few counters, but Jacobs’ volume and pace began to tilt the momentum in his favour.
Round 3, Jacobs continued a sustained forward attack, landing crisp combinations and snapping Girdham’s head back with a right hook.
Mid-round, Jacobs slipped a punch and immediately countered with heavy straight shots, forcing Girdham against the fence. Jacobs unleashed a barrage of punches, prompting the referee to step in and stop the contest, securing Jacobs’ bantamweight title defence.
