Two-time IMMAF Africa Flyweight Champion Damian Muller is set to make his highly anticipated debut at Barebones MC 7 this weekend! In what promises to be one of the most international BMC events yet, top athletes from Namibia, the DRC, Nigeria, and South Africa will all be in action.Don’t miss it. | IMMAF
Image: IMMAF
The Barebones MMA Championship returns to the Sunningdale Sport Complex on Saturday for its first event of 2026, kicking off the year with a stacked card.
Dubbed “Return of the King,” BMC 7 will feature 20 fights across three segments: early prelims, prelims, and a high-stakes main card. The main card includes three title fights and one contender bout.
BMC continues to grow from strength to strength, attracting some of the best amateur talent not only from South Africa but across the continent. This is the most international card to date, with Namibia, Nigeria, the DRC, and South Africa all represented in Cape Town.
In the main event, Nigeria’s Aku Okafar defends his heavyweight title against the DRC’s Herne Zeng. Okafar claimed the title last year with a victory over South Africa’s Ebrahim Oosthuizen. The co-main event features highly talented former South African wrestling champion Zander Cronje, who takes on the tough DRC’s Glody Miezi for the interim featherweight title.
One of the most anticipated fights of the night — arguably worthy of main event status — sees Namibia’s two-time African champion and globally recognised star, Damien Muller, face hometown favourite and rising Cape Town talent Umar Edwards in a bantamweight contender bout.
Both athletes have developed through the IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation) system and bring well-rounded skill sets, having trained alongside top talent at world-renowned gyms such as CDS MMA Namibia and House of Combat. It will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure inside the cage, particularly given their recent inactivity.
Both athletes last competed in 2024: Edwards competed at the IMMAF Africa Championships before focusing on his schooling and matric year, while Muller last competed in November 2024 at the IMMAF World Championships.
Another exciting matchup sees JP Conradie (Troublemaker) take on House of Combat’s Nilesh Jessa in a flyweight bout, with both athletes known for always pushing for the finish. In another title fight sure to energise the crowd, Kuhle Miso squares off against Reuben Job for the BMF bantamweight title.
Also on the main card, Mandume Kaukunga faces Clayton Alexander in a flyweight bout. Jaden Liyambo takes on Elgreat Light Eze at welterweight, while Baghdad Muundjuba meets Armanu Abdallah in bantamweight action.
The event opens with the youth card, where emerging fighters take the spotlight. Aqib Rhode faces Noah De Wet in a Youth B contest under 55kg, followed by Leonidas Baroutsos versus Jacob Gumede at under 68kg. Viggo Lindorsson meets Zubair Emmanuel in a Youth B clash under 72kg, before Austen Armstrong takes on Zaid Skriker in a Youth A contest under 63kg.
The youth portion concludes with a bantamweight matchup between Yordanis Hernandez Sampre and Brandon Devenish.
After a short intermission, the prelims begin, featuring a series of competitive matchups across multiple divisions. Franco Gericke meets Eden Faclier in a welterweight bout, followed by Schalk Van Greunen versus Omba Bodrick Ilunga at lightweight. In the middleweight division, Matthew Harvey takes on Taine Thorne, while Keenan Shields faces Fikile Mbane in another lightweight contest.
Featherweights Rynhardt Havenga and Xavier Cornelius go head-to-head, before Lance Dyson battles Tiaan Potgieter in the bantamweight division. The prelims conclude with a welterweight clash between Paul Henning and Nathaniel Thomas.
Overall, the card promises a full night of action, building from grassroots youth competition to elite-level title fights at the top of the bill.
Tickets will be available at the door or on Quicket, typically priced around R230 to R575 for regional amateur events. Doors open at 2pm with the event set to start at 3pm on Saturday, 28 March.