EFC 126 Results: Willie van Rooyen Submits Anatolie Gafin
Van Rooyen retains the title
Willie van Rooyen defended his EFC flyweight championship by submitting Anatolie Gafin with a rear-naked choke in Round 2 at EFC 126 on August 7, 2025. The event took place at the World Sports Betting Arena in Sandton, South Africa.
Results from the card
Van Rooyen entered the bout unbeaten and finished Gafin in the second round. The result kept the title with the champion and gave Gafin a loss in his challenge for the belt. The matchup headlined a ten-fight professional card.
Ntando Zondi won the co-main event, stopping Kgaugelo Moishela with punches in Round 3. Elsewhere on the main card, Gift Walker submitted Sibusiso Sovendle by rear-naked choke, Ziko Makengele knocked out Wallace Okosso, and Zhane Tannous stopped Stefan Booysen with a head kick.
The preliminary card included submission wins for Moses Mokhari, Jesse Schaper and Vuyo Jula, while Roberto Miyaba and Veja Hinda earned unanimous decisions. The results gave EFC 126 a mix of finishes and scorecard victories beneath the title bout.
EFC’s event archive also noted van Rooyen’s title defense on the night of the card. The documented results included bouts across flyweight, bantamweight and heavier divisions, with submissions and knockouts alongside the championship finish. The main event remained the card’s only title bout.
Related reporting and sources: The Citizen · www.mmausa.net · citizen.co.za · MMA
