MMA star Don Madge scores first-round KO in boxing debut at Fight Island

It will be interesting to see what Matt Leisching and his Fight Island team do next after the much-anticipated return of Don Madge to action went exactly as the doctor ordered.

The exhibition bout of the now-retired MMA fighter closed the show at another Fight Island event at Cabo Beach on Saturday night.

It ended with Fhulufhelo Ramaliba crashing to the canvas in just the first round, giving Madge a winning return to action and a triumphant attempt at boxing, a full-circle moment in his martial arts journey, having made his name in MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.

Madge and his coach, Leisching or perhaps more so Madge himself, had insisted this boxing bout would be a one-and-done occasion, a way to give back to his home crowd after competing abroad for most of his career.

But a first-round finish and the subtle shrug after dropping his opponent might have sparked another hunger for competition. Fighting is a high that most fighters find difficult to let go of.

Still, Madge is now a family man, and at the professional level, the sport demands heavy sacrifices often at the expense of family time.

That’s why he maintains that his focus now is on his family and his growing business interests. Should that remain the case, the packed Cabo Beach crowd can feel honoured to have witnessed the action he delivered, perhaps as his farewell from the ring.

At his gym, Madge has a host of promising understudies already making their mark in the combat world, boxing included.

One such name is gym partner Dylan “Bam Bam” Prosser, a bright prospect with a growing reputation. In his last outing before Saturday night, Prosser faced a tough challenge that pushed him into deep waters.

This time, however, he wasted no time showing his power, barely breaking a sweat before dispatching Sifiso Chili in their super middleweight clash.

The fight took about 30 seconds before a barrage of heavy punches dropped Chili who was not able to make his way back to his feet. The victory pushed Prosser's record to 8-0, with five stoppages to his name. Another teammate, Caleigh Swart only needed one round to dispatch Seani Morite, bouncing back in style from her solitary loss which came when she challenged for the IBO All africa title against Simamkele Tutsheni.

Other standout moments from Fight Island included the Fight of the Night between Tristan Naidoo and Axolile Gabuza, who went toe-to-toe in a high-octane six-round lightweight war. Naidoo edged out a hard-fought win on the judges’ scorecards.

Meanwhile, Mika-eel Jacobs walked away with the Knockout of the Night bonus after flooring Luthando Mkwini in emphatic fashion.

In the main professional bout, WBF inter-continental bantamweight champion Asekho Nocele, making his Fight Island debut, dominated all ten rounds against a tough-as-nails Saul Hlungwani.

Nocele was once again at his crisp and calculated best, but Hlungwani, as always, proved he can take a punch. The champ had to settle for a unanimous decision after punishing his opponent from start to finish, the judges awarding him every round.