Hinda stays unbeaten with first-round KO

Mixed martial arts
Hinda Boy showed his highlight-reel knockout ability, as his devastating right hand rattled Ngcobo, knocked out his tooth and sent him to the canvas.
Mariud Ngula
  • 4 Hours Ago

Namibian mixed martial artist Veja “Hinda Boy” Hinda kept his professional record intact at 2-0, 1 KO, after a devastating right hand sent South Africa’s Bheki Ngcobo to the canvas 2:09 into their bantamweight bout in Sandton, South Africa.

The knockout rattled Ngcobo and sent one of his teeth flying, capping off Hinda’s Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) 134 victory, which marked his first outing of the year and second professional win on Thursday evening.

Hinda’s overpowering of a durable grappler in Ngcobo, whose 3-6 professional record includes two submission wins, saw his technical brilliance rewarded with a performance bonus on the preliminary card.

After the victory in the cage, Hinda was draped in the Namibian flag, chanting the country’s name.

“I see the support. We’re here, it’s the beginning, 2 and 0, baby! It’s a start, let’s go!” an elated Hinda remarked.


Promising MMA career

Namibia’s 2023 Sportsman of the Year is building one of the country’s most promising mixed martial arts (MMA) careers under the EFC banner, having made his professional debut at EFC 126 last August in Johannesburg.

The then-debutant faced South Africa’s Ash Zola in a flyweight clash that went the distance, with Hinda taking the victory by unanimous decision after three rounds.

The result moved Zola to 1-1 at the time, with the South African now holding a 2-3 professional record.

Before turning professional and shaking up the EFC bantamweight scene, the Kosoto MMA and Pride Fighting Academy martial artist boasted a strong amateur background with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF).

He became Namibia’s first IMMAF Africa champion after winning the 2022 Africa featherweight title with three finishes, becoming the country’s first fighter to win an international MMA belt, as reported by The Namibian.


African gold medallist

His African gold-medal campaign saw him submit DR Congo’s Tresor Musampa with a triangle choke in his first bout, before a 52-second head-kick finish in the semi-final against Mauritius’ Geraldo Moïse.

In the final bout for the overall title, the Namibian secured an armbar submission against South Africa’s Nicholas Vermaak to win the Africa Male Featherweight 65.8kg division gold medal in South Africa.

The result took him to the IMMAF World Championships in Serbia the same year, where he submitted England’s Mo Zubair with a first-round guillotine choke on the opening day.

Hinda later exited the event after a unanimous decision defeat to Finland’s Mikael Räsänen.

However, his rise remains a rare blend of academics and combat sport, as away from the cage, the well-rounded finisher holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Namibia.

– mariud@nsh.com.na