Tumelo Manyamala to Face Brandon Santos at EFC 140

Tumelo Manyamala will make the first defence of his EFC Flyweight Championship against Brandon Santos in the main event of EFC 140 on Thursday, Dec 3. The event is scheduled to be the promotion's final offering of 2026, with the reigning champion set to close out the year by putting his gold on the line.

Tumelo Manyamala Set for First Title Defence in EFC 140

Tumelo 'Mellow' Manyamala captured the EFC Flyweight Championship at EFC 131: KNOX Legacy Series in February, defeating Ntando Zondi to claim the title for the first time in his professional career. The championship victory marked another milestone for the flyweight standout, who previously competed on season 33 of The Ultimate Fighter under the tutelage of Daniel Cormier.

Since becoming champion in Cape Town, Manyamala has been awaiting his first title challenger. There were several moving parts in the 125-pound division over the last few months, with Zondi notably getting a third-round armbar submission at EFC 137 and calling out Manyamala for a rematch.

However, EFC has opted to match Manyamala with Santos instead, giving the challenger an opportunity to disrupt the champion's reign. During his time away from the EFC Hex, Manyamala competed at UAE Warriors 72 and lost via majority decision to Victor Nunes.

Brandon Santos Looks to Pull Off an Upset in EFC 140

Santos enters the championship bout with a 4-1 professional record, making him considerably less experienced than Manyamala. His only defeat came against Mozambique's Emerson Pedro, who is one of the standout names to emerge from the African continent in 2026.

Despite the difference in experience, Santos will have the opportunity to make a significant statement by dethroning Manyamala and claiming the EFC Flyweight Championship for the first time in his career. This would mark Santos' first title in his MMA career, although he has won the Eclipse Fight League Gladiators Cup Championship in Muay Thai.

EFC 140 Fight Card

EFC 140 takes place on Dec. 3 at the World Sports Betting EFC Arena in Johannesburg. The event is scheduled to be the promotion's final show of the year.

Alongside the EFC Flyweight Championship main event, the only other confirmed bout is a welterweight contest between Jaco du Plessis and Jerry Kambata. The fight appears to be positioned as the evening's penultimate bout, although the final bout order is yet to be confirmed.

Further bouts are expected to be announced as the promotion builds towards its final event of 2026.