EFC 137 Countdown: Faeez Jacobs vs. Chadrack Yemba Preview
EFC 137 puts Faeez Jacobs’ pursuit of two-division gold at the center of a deep September 10 card in Johannesburg. The official Countdown documentary follows Faeez Jacobs and Chadrack Yemba away from the Hexagon as both prepare for an interim featherweight championship fight carrying very different kinds of pressure.
Jacobs already holds the EFC bantamweight championship. Now he moves up to 145 pounds attempting to add a second belt, while Yemba arrives unbeaten inside EFC Worldwide and riding a six-fight winning streak. Their Jacobs vs. Yemba main event headlines EFC 137 at the World Sports Betting EFC Arena.
Faeez Jacobs chases a second EFC championship
Jacobs enters at 14-6 and in one of the strongest stretches of his career. “Troublemaker” regained EFC bantamweight gold against Vince Bembe in 2024 and has continued building his second reign, including a third-round stoppage of Trent Girdham and a five-round unanimous decision over Gift Walker at EFC 135.
The Walker fight is particularly relevant to this move up in weight. Jacobs had to work through a full championship fight rather than rely on an early finish, showing the composure and conditioning he will need against a natural featherweight. Rewatch the Faeez Jacobs vs. Gift Walker highlights for a look at his most recent title defense.
EFC 137 presents a different challenge. Jacobs is leaving the division where he is champion to compete for the interim featherweight belt, an opportunity that could put him among the relatively small group of fighters to hold EFC titles in two weight classes.
The Countdown film also gives that ambition some personal context. Jacobs speaks about the difficult background behind the “Troublemaker” nickname and the responsibility he now feels to turn his career into something positive. For him, the Yemba fight is not simply another title opportunity; he sees it as a defining point in how his career will ultimately be remembered.
Chadrack Yemba enters on a six-fight winning streak
Yemba has his own route to the vacant interim championship. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born, Johannesburg-based featherweight is 7-1 professionally and has yet to lose in EFC.
His current six-fight winning streak includes a second-round rear-naked choke over Steven Goncalves and a body-shot TKO of Hanru Botha in May. That run has established Yemba as one of the division’s leading active contenders at a time when the featherweight title picture has been forced to adjust.
Reigning champion Igeu Kabesa remains sidelined while awaiting medical clearance, while former interim champion Billy Oosthuizen relinquished the belt following his retirement. That opened the door for Jacobs and Yemba to contest the interim championship.
The contrast is a strong one. Jacobs brings substantially more professional and championship experience, but he is moving into Yemba’s division. Yemba has fewer fights, yet enters with momentum, natural featherweight size and an unbeaten EFC record. The Countdown documentary leans into that difference, showing Yemba with his family and exploring what becoming an EFC champion would mean to him.
For a shorter introduction to the matchup itself, watch the EFC 137 promo for Faeez Jacobs vs. Chadrack Yemba.
Jason Mackay puts his unbeaten record against Guide Moyo
The supporting card includes an interesting lightweight matchup between unbeaten prospect Jason Mackay and experienced Zimbabwean Guide Moyo. The Moyo vs. Mackay fight matches very different career positions.
Mackay is 2-0 with both professional victories coming by stoppage. Most recently, he knocked out Guelor Sondi with an elbow in the first round at EFC 134. Moyo enters with far more professional experience and has earned five of his six victories by KO or TKO, giving Mackay an opponent capable of testing whether his fast start can hold up against a veteran.
Flyweight fights add depth to EFC 137
Two flyweight matchups also stand out on the September card. Tebatso Molele vs. Sisa Jungula pairs Molele, who enters at 5-3 after a unanimous-decision victory over Lecture Ntshangase, with the 3-2 Jungula.
The other is Godknows Ndlovu vs. Lihle Ngamntwini. Ngamntwini has previously put together a run of strong EFC results, while Ndlovu has repeatedly faced established names in the promotion’s flyweight division. With Tumelo Manyamala holding the championship, these are the kinds of fights that can reshape the next layer of contenders underneath him.
Ash Zola meets Bruce Mayasi at featherweight
EFC 137 also has another featherweight fight beyond the championship main event, with Ash Zola vs. Bruce Mayasi. Mayasi comes in at 2-1 after stopping Andile Gasa with punches in the third round at EFC 134, while Zola looks to build on his most recent victory.
It gives the card another connection to the same 145-pound division that Jacobs and Yemba headline. Whatever happens in the main event, EFC leaves September 10 with a new interim champion and another set of featherweights trying to move themselves closer to that championship picture.
EFC 137 brings the focus back to Johannesburg
EFC 137 takes place Thursday, September 10 at the World Sports Betting EFC Arena in Johannesburg, with prelims scheduled for 14:00 CAT and the main card at 19:00 CAT.
The promotion arrives there one event after EFC 136, where Adrian Sanchez retained the interim lightweight championship against Bradley Swanepoel. That fight is available in full on MMAtown as Adrian Sanchez vs. Bradley Swanepoel.
EFC 137 shifts the championship spotlight to featherweight. Jacobs has the chance to turn an established bantamweight title reign into two-division history; Yemba has the chance to stop him and turn a six-fight winning streak into his first EFC championship. The Countdown episode shows the pressure behind both sides before that question is settled inside the Hexagon.