EFC Inklink

EFC’s Ink Link

The Ink Link is an ongoing project at CN&CO that showcases tattoos in the workplace. In this edition we have changed things up a bit and are featuring some of the ink that is on display in the Extreme Fighting Championship(EFC) hexagon.

One of the great things about a tattoo is it goes against the commonly-held viewpoint that “what you see is what you get”.  We have showcased numerous stories in the Ink Link series and look forward to continuing to showcase difference. If you or anyone you know would like to be featured, please get in contact with us.

Right, turning our focus to these EFC superstars and elite athletes. In October EasyEquities, a CN&CO partner, stepped into the hexagon with EFC and invested in an exciting partnership. (A hexagon, for the uninformed, is the arena in which the EFC fights take place) Sitting ringside at EFC 75, we noticed a couple of amazing piece of ink on the athletes and contacted our friends at EFC to connect us with the athletes.

We thoroughly enjoyed learning a bit more about each of the athletes that we featured and look forward to sharing more of EFC’s ink stories soon. If you are interested and keen to check out what EFC is all about, give us a shout. We have a few tickets to EFC 76 in Gauteng in early December and it would be great to see you there.

Here are a few tattoo Q&As with a few of the fighters:

Saxon Delafield

Tell us a bit about who you are and how many tattoos you have

I am Saxon Delafield, a full time MMA fighter fighting out of PFA in Cape Town and currently signed to the EFC. Currently my entire back, ribs and left arm are covered in tattoos. I also have a quote on my upper right thigh.

Do any of your tattoos have significant meaning or a story behind them? 

The tattoos with the most significant meaning are my sons’ names on my forearms and my quote on my thigh: “family is where life begins and love never ends” … which basically means I only really realised what true love felt like when my sons were born. That’s when I realised that everything I have to do in life is going to be for them and for their future.

Saxon EFC Inklink

Are there any plans to add to your tattoo collection? 

Yeah! I’m not going to stop until I am covered. I’m going to my mates, Jan and Lynne, at Rasta Tattoo art studio soon so that I can finish up my arm and then get my stomach done.

Andrew van Zyl

Tell us a bit about who you are and how many tattoos you have

I’m Andrew van Zyl, three-time EFC heavyweight champ. I have been fighting in the EFC since 2010. My next bout is against Stuart Austin on 8 December 2018 at Times Square in Pretoria as part of EFC 76.

I have seven tattoos.

Do any of your tattoos have significant meaning or a story behind them?

Two of my tattoos have significant mean to me. The first are the letters GC on the inside of my arm, which are the initials of my best friend Giovanni Cooks who passed away in car accident. The second is piece of the Hulk fighting the Punisher in an epic battle scene, my two favourite superheroes.

Andrew. EFC Inklink

Are there any plans to add to your tattoo collection?

I am currently completing a piece featuring the face of King Kong on my shoulder, chest and back.

Tumisang Madiba

Tell us a bit about who you are and how many tattoos you have

I’m Tumisang “The President” Madiba. I have eight tattoos.

Do any of your tattoos have significant meaning or a story behind them?

All my tattoos are very special and have significant meaning. The first one I got was of the African continent which is meant to show the shape of my heart.

I have one of the Star of David, which symbolizes a lot of things — among them the balance between spirituality and materialism. I have my mother with the Egyptian crown and I have one of the last pictures my grandmother took.

My right arm is the “royalty” arm with my mom, Emperor Haile Selassie (who was the last emperor of Ethiopia) and Shaka Zulu inside the bicep. I also have a crown on my ribs.

TUMI EFC Inklink

Are there any plans to add to your tattoo collection?

I would love to get more. I alsohave a nephew and daughter who I love dearly and would have loved to have them tattooed. However, I have embraced Islam and am now a Muslim. Getting tattooed is prohibited, so I won’t be getting anymore tattoos.

Amanda Maddog Lino

Tell us a bit about who you are and how many tattoos you have

I’m the current EFC Women’s Flyweight Champion and the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. I live in Ballito with my dogs and cats. I run a gym KO Fighting Fitness and I love what I do.

I have 10 tattoos, but if I count all the images within my sleeves, there are way more than just 10.

Do any of your tattoos have significant meaning or a story behind them?

Every tattoo has a meaning for me. I’ve even had both images of my championship fights tattooed on me. I could tell you so many stories behind each one but I think I’ll go with the story behind the one that was meant to be my joker tattoo.

Sitting with my friend and tattoo artist, Mike ‘Big Mike’ Artura, he said to me, “Amanda why don’t you have any tattoos that don’tmean anything?” (Which at the time I didn’t.) So jokingly he says, “Why don’t I tattoo my face on your bum?” Now, those who know me well will tell you that I am not one to back out of a dare…so long story short, I have Mike’s face and signature tattooed on my bum!

 

Are there any plans to add to your tattoo collection?

I do plan on getting more in the future. My nephew has just been born so he will be the next portrait…

Keep an eye out for more #InkLink features and remember to book your tickets for EFC76 here. We look forward to seeing you ring side.