EFC 138 ENGAGED: Djikasa vs. Born, Walker vs. Hadebe & Goncalves vs. Bembe
EFC 138 is built around a heavyweight title fight between two men at very different points in their careers. Undefeated finisher Terrence Born challenges former two-time champion Matunga Djikasa for the vacant belt on October 1, while EFC's ENGAGED series also goes inside the camps of Gift Walker, Sithembiso Hadebe, Steven Goncalves and Vince Bembe before their main-card fights in Johannesburg.
The documentary gives a more personal look at the athletes than a standard fight-card preview, following their preparation and mindset as EFC Worldwide returns to the WSB EFC Arena. For a fight-by-fight breakdown of the event itself, see MMAtown's EFC 138 preview.
Terrence Born's Perfect Finishing Run Meets Matunga Djikasa's Experience
The clearest contrast on the card comes in the Djikasa vs. Born heavyweight championship fight. Born is only four fights into his professional career, but none of those opponents has made it to the judges. He stopped Jeremie Tshibala in his debut before producing three consecutive first-round knockouts or TKOs against Tico van den Berg, Sholto Luiters and Christophe Walravens.
His most recent win lasted just 41 seconds. That rapid rise has taken "The Mountain" from professional newcomer to EFC's number-one heavyweight contender without a defeat on his record.
Djikasa represents an entirely different challenge. The 40-year-old has fought 14 professional bouts and has already held the EFC heavyweight championship twice. He enters EFC 138 at 8-6 after losing to Adama Diop in their title fight at EFC 132 in April, giving him an immediate opportunity to reclaim a championship he knows well.
The matchup is therefore less about comparing records than answering whether Born's destructive start holds up against a heavyweight who has spent years fighting at championship level. ENGAGED captures that contrast directly: one fighter trying to complete an unusually fast ascent, the other attempting to become EFC heavyweight champion for a third time.
Djikasa has been part of plenty of memorable EFC moments already. One of the stranger chapters of his career came against Vandam Mbuyi at EFC 98, revisited in MMAtown's look at the controversial Djikasa vs. Mbuyi finish.
Gift Walker Tries to Rebound Against Sithembiso Hadebe
The Gift Walker vs. Sithembiso Hadebe bantamweight fight brings together another pair with very different recent experiences.
Gift Walker, a former EFC flyweight champion, challenged Faeez Jacobs in a five-round bantamweight title fight at EFC 135 in July. Walker went the distance but lost a unanimous decision, snapping the momentum created by his submission win over Eduardo Barros three months earlier.
That title fight is worth revisiting before EFC 138: MMAtown has the Faeez Jacobs vs. Gift Walker highlights from EFC 135.
Sithembiso Hadebe, meanwhile, arrives with a 5-2 record and a three-fight winning streak. His latest victory came at EFC 136 in August, when he defeated Godfrey Mkhwanazi by unanimous decision. For Walker, October 1 is a chance to respond immediately after a championship defeat. For Hadebe, beating a former champion would strengthen an already productive run through the division.
Steven Goncalves and Vince Bembe Meet at Featherweight
The third matchup at the center of ENGAGED pairs two experienced EFC featherweights. Steven Goncalves enters at 9-6 and has found momentum through his grappling, winning his last two fights by first-round rear-naked choke. He submitted Guide Moyo in November 2025 and repeated the finish against Roberto Miyaba at EFC 131 in February.
Vince Bembe is trying to reverse the opposite trend. The former featherweight title challenger has dropped three straight fights, most recently suffering a third-round TKO loss to Khanyo Maqam at EFC 134 in June.
That last appearance can be watched in full in MMAtown's Khanyo Maqam vs. Vince Bembe fight video. Against Goncalves, Bembe has an immediate opportunity to halt that slide against an opponent currently riding a two-fight winning streak.
What Else Is on the EFC 138 Main Card?
ENGAGED concentrates on those six fighters, but they sit within a deeper EFC 138 lineup. Unbeaten Clelio Diogo faces Godfrey Mkhwanazi in Diogo vs. Mkhwanazi, while Khanyo Maqam vs. Osvaldo Benedito matches two fighters whose professional wins have all come inside the distance.
For Born, the night ends either with his first professional defeat or an EFC championship after just five fights. Djikasa has the chance to put the belt around his waist for a third time. Walker and Hadebe are fighting for position at bantamweight, while Goncalves vs. Bembe gives one veteran the chance to continue a resurgence and the other an opportunity to stop a difficult run.
EFC 138 takes place Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the WSB EFC Arena in Johannesburg, with the vacant heavyweight championship at the top of the card.