By Tapiwa Chawagarira
JOHANNESBURG — Zimbabwean mixed martial artist Thembani “Samurai” Mhlanga delivered a devastating performance at EFC 138 in Johannesburg on Thursday night, stopping his South African opponent, Itumeleng “Shaka” Mabilo, with punches just 35 seconds into the opening round.
Mhlanga wasted little time asserting himself, overwhelming Mabilo with his striking before the referee intervened to end the contest.
The emphatic stoppage gave Mhlanga his first professional victory and served as an impressive response after his previous outing ended in a first-round submission defeat to Stefan Diedericks at EFC 134 in June.
Mabilo, fighting out of CGA Potchefstroom, entered the contest seeking his first professional victory. His previous three professional appearances had all ended in defeat, including a technical submission loss to Lucky Bosco at EFC 130 and a rear-naked choke loss to Grant Farrow at EFC 133.
The victory therefore marked an important turnaround for Mhlanga, whose record now stands at 1-1 as a professional, according to Sherdog’s fight records. Mabilo’s record drops to 0-3.
The Zimbabwean was part of the EFC 138 card staged at the World Sports Betting EFC Arena in Sandton, Johannesburg. The event featured nine bouts, including a vacant heavyweight championship fight between Terrence “The Mountain” Born and two-time EFC heavyweight champion Matunga “HHH Power” Djikasa.
EFC 138 was originally scheduled for October 8 but was moved forward to October 1 as the promotion entered the final stretch of its 2026 calendar.
For Zimbabwean combat sports, Mhlanga’s explosive victory represents another notable performance on the regional MMA stage and gives the 28-year-old fighter renewed momentum as he continues his professional career.
The manner of the victory — a first-round stoppage in just 35 seconds — ensured that Mhlanga’s name was among the main talking points at the Johannesburg event.
Mhlanga’s next challenge will be to build on this breakthrough victory and further establish himself in the EFC lightweight division.
