PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: Igeu Kabesa, South Africa
Nickname: Smiley
Date of Birth: 1994
Weight: 145LBS/ 65.77kgs
Division: Featherweight, Lightweight, and Bantamweight
Pro MMA Record: [17-2-0]
EARLY LIFE
Igeu Kabesa is a South African MMA fighter fast becoming an international MMA star. The athlete is a multi-time national wrestling champion and three-time featherweight champion at the EFC. He currently ranked #1 amongst South African Featherweight fighters.
Although he has been linked to other fight organizations and gotten multiple promotions, the fighter has yet to move to these establishments because of immigration issues, owing to his parents being refugees in the country. The problem is being looked over at the department’s head office in Pretoria, and upon resolution, the fight will be able to move abroad. Kabesa has been in nineteen professional matches and three amateur rounds so far in his career.
MMA CAREER
The fighter is a trained wrestling and jiu-jitsu expert but has mainly competed in national tournaments due to travel restrictions. He has competed at the amateur level in contests like African Fight League and Cage Fight League. His professional bouts have mainly been at the EFC. Kabesa’s first amateur fight saw him face off Martin De Beer, but he had his opponent tapping out after locking him in a rear naked choke in round two.
Next, he fought Jesse Fleming and made quick work of him by locking him in an armbar. The move led to a submission in the opening round. His last amateur fight was against Daniel Matthews, and yet again, he proved to be a better fighter and dominated his opponent via TKO in round three.
Kabesa’s first professional fight saw him square up against Chad Hepburn in the lightweight division. After fatal blows and strikes, the fight ended with Kabesa victorious via unanimous decision. Soon afterward, Kabesa faced Johan Van Staden and won the fight after putting Staden in a fatal armbar, leading to his submission minutes into round one. Next, he faced Zimbabwe fighter Regis Muyambo. He soon destroyed his opponent with deadly strikes, leading to a TKO in round two. His next opponent was Barend Nienaber, and both rivals battled tirelessly, but in the end, Kabesa emerged the winner via unanimous decision.
Saxon Delafield was Kabesa’s next opponent, but he could not keep up with Kabesa. He soon lost the fight after suffering a knockout in the first round. Next, he faced Scottish fighter Danny Henry to win the featherweight championship. He performed a series of beautiful takedowns and hammer fists in the second and third rounds before winning the match via unanimous decision.
Kabesa defended his featherweight title against Hanru Botha at the EFC. He delivered explosive strikes and punches before a bodyslam and guillotine choke, leading to Botha’s submission in round one. Later, he faced Henry to defend his title but lost the bout after getting locked in a D’arce choke in round one. After this defeat, he went up against Pierre Botha and pummeled his opponent with blows and punches that led to a TKO in round one.
Successively, he went head-on against Brazilian fighter Paulo Bananada and won the round via TKO in round two. His next bout after this was against Calum Murrie. Both opponents battled viciously to make it to the final round, but Kabesa won this bout after a unanimous decision.
Following this, Kabesa faced Croatian fighter Karlo Caput in the featherweight division. Both strikers came in guarded, but Caput soon went in for the kill, landing a couple of jabs before Kabesa knocked him out with a left cross that ended the match in round one.
Next, he faced Reinaldo Ekson. The match started with low leg kicks before catching Kabesa with an overhead right, but Kabesa recovered and went for a takedown. Ekson recovered and threw Kabesa before locking him in an arm triangle choke that led to him losing the match and the belt.
After this, he went after Ashley Calvert and destroyed him in round one via rear naked choke. Next, he faced Angolian fighter Nerik Simoes. The two kept their footwork light before Kabesa went in for a takedown. Simoes tried going for a backward armbar, but Kabesa slipped through. After getting back on their feet, Simoes went for a leg kick, but Kabesa backed Simoes to the cage and wrestled him to the ground. He went in from behind and landed hammer fists, ending the match in round one.
Round two began with a slow takedown and uppercut by Kabesa. The two got back up and tried for a simultaneous takedown, but Kabesa proved successful and unleashed a barrage of blows. Kabesa went for a rear naked choke that led to Simoe’s submission.
Next, he faced Bradley Swanepoel and won the fight after a deadly TKO in the opening round. Soon after, he faced Vince Bembe and went for a takedown before landing a heavy ground pound. He followed with a rear naked choke that led to Bembe’s submission in round one.
His last recorded fight was his rematch battle against Ekson. Kabesa and Ekson battled fiercely, with both rivals scoring deadly strikes and takedowns, but Kabesa proved victorious after a unanimous decision.
MMA RECORD
| W/L/D [NC] | RECORD AFTER FIGHT | OPPONENT | FIGHT LIBRARY |
| W | 17-2-0 | REINALDO EKSON | https://youtu.be/b9MAuo1goto?si=3Gx4zYvf0GqZtaoM |
| W | 16-2-0 | VINCE BEMBE | https://youtu.be/5a10Y6wQG9Q?si=1yCVSW6H81lANOAs |
| W | 15-2-0 | BRADLEY SWANEPOEL | |
| W | 14-2-0 | NERIK SIMOES | https://youtu.be/n2rxbGJXoIw?si=rjfkGJ2hUU-RYpop |
| W | 13-2-0 | ASHLEY CALVERT | |
| L | 12-2-0 | REINALDO EKSON | https://youtu.be/fgF5i_d99uY?si=eA4A_0By2Hq-Z8K3 |
| W | 12-1-0 | KARLO CAPUT | https://youtu.be/rDOd0riOThk?si=T_PwXckHw6YKQVtB |
| W | 11-1-0 | CALUM MURRIE | |
| W | 10-1-0 | PAULO BANANADA | |
| W | 9-1-0 | PIERRE BOTHA | |
| L | 8-1-0 | DANNY HENRY | |
| W | 8-0-0 | HANRU BOTHA | |
| W | 7-0-0 | DANNY HENRY | |
| W | 6-0-0 | PETER QUEALLY | |
| W | 5-0-0 | SAXON DELAFIELD | |
| W | 4-0-0 | BAREND NIENABER | |
| W | 3-0-0 | REGIS MUYAMBO | |
| W | 2-0-0 | JOHAN VAN STADEN | |
| W | 1-0-0 | CHAD HEPBURN |
