EFC 137: Jacobs vs. Yemba - Date, Time, Location, Fight Card and How to Watch

EFC 137 is now less than two weeks away, and it is one of the most stacked offerings of the promotion in 2026. The 14-fight card will see a bunch of moving pieces in different divisions.

Here is the EFC 137 date, time, location, fight card, how to watch, and everything else to know ahead of the event.

EFC 137 Date and Time

EFC 137 takes place on Thursday, Sept. 10. The prelims are currently scheduled to kick off at 2 PM CAT/8 AM ET. The main card goes live at 7 PM CAT/1 PM ET.

EFC 137 Location

EFC 137 will emanate from the World Sports Betting EFC Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.

EFC 137 Fight Card

Main Card

• EFC Interim Featherweight Championship: Faeez Jacobs vs. Shadrack Yemba
• Middleweight Bout: JT Botha vs. Luke Michael
• Middleweight Bout: Josiah Obasi vs. German Kokaev
• Lightweight Bout: Jason Mackay vs. Guide Moyo
• Flyweight Bout: Tebatso Molele vs. Sisa Jungula

Prelims

• Flyweight Bout: Godknows Ndlovu vs. Lihle Ngamntwini
• Featherweight Bout: Ayanda Zwane vs. Lewis Mataya
• Featherweight Bout: Bruce Mayasi vs. Ash Zola
• Lightweight Bout: Takunda Gorimbo vs. Philani Mbuyazi
• Welterweight Bout: Boyka Botha vs. Rigo Ntumba
• Flyweight Bout: Tryford Mwanga vs. Lukhmaan Jhazbhay
• Welterweight Bout: Alex Suzuki vs. Trevor Mutsila
• Lightweight Bout: Stefan Diedericks vs. Johnny Koen
• Featherweight Bout: Roberto Miyaba vs. Sibusiso Sovendle

How to Watch EFC 137

The entire preliminary card of EFC 137 will be available to watch on Discover Sport. The main card has different broadcasters around the world.

• Worldwide: DAZN and Discover Sport (Geo-blocked in certain regions)
• Africa: SuperSport and SABC Sport
• USA: Dooya Media and Next Level Sports & Entertainment (NLSE)
• South America: Direct TV

EFC 137 Main Event: Faeez Jacobs vs. Shadrack Yemba

The biggest fight of the night will see EFC Bantamweight Champion Faeez 'The Troublemaker' Jacobs move up in weight to challenge for the EFC Interim Featherweight Championship. Opposite him will be the featherweight division's number one contender, Shadrack 'Babayega' Yemba.

Jacobs will enter the EFC Hex with a 14-6 record following a unanimous decision victory over Gift Walker at EFC 135 earlier this year. 'The Troublemaker' has had quite an active year, and this upcoming bout will be his third fight in 2026. This bout could see him achieve double champ status for the first time in his career.

Yemba enters this bout with a 7-1 professional record, and the Congolese featherweight has established himself as one of the most intriguing African MMA prospects. Following a brief stint with PFL Africa, Yemba is back in the EFC title conversation, and this will mark his first title fight in his pro career.

The key question is whether Jacobs' experience and fight IQ can overpower the size and momentum of Yemba.

EFC 137 Co-Main Event: Luke Michael vs. JT Botha

The penultimate fight on the EFC 137 card is an intriguing middleweight bout. The fight itself is not for the title, but the result could have ripple effects on the entire division's standings.

Luke 'Young Gun' Michael has an 8-7 record going into the bout, and he is a two-time former EFC Middleweight Champion. This will mark Michael's first match since losing the title to Diego Bandu at EFC 131: KNOX Legacy Series in February. This will also be the first time in over four years that 'Young Gun' will have a non-title matchup.

JT 'Blade' Botha walks into EFC 137 with a 3-4 record, looking to extend his one-fight winning streak. This is certainly a step-up in competition for Botha, but he might not necessarily be a significant underdog here. Botha trains out of Team CIT in Pretoria, which is best known for being the camp of former UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis. More notably, Bandu - who defeated Michael - trains at Team CIT too.

This is a chance for Michael to reannounce himself to the EFC fight fans and the middleweight division, but Team CIT could look to strengthen their gym's standing with another collective victory over the former champion.