Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt Gary Joshua is looking to make quick work of grappler Baldwin Mdlalose at EFC 60 on Saturday June 10 in Durban.
The former Cape Fight League Super-am Bantamweight champion, Joshua, 29, set the Hexagon alight on his EFC debut with a first round TKO win against veteran Lourens Botes (3-7-0) in November.
He followed up that performance with a submission victory against Jasen van der Merwe at EFC 58, when he sunk in a guillotine choke to claim yet another first round win.
Joshua, who fights out of Tricore MMA in Cape Town, has claimed many scalps on the local jiu-jitsu scene and proved he is as good a striker, as he is on the ground.
"A friend of mine introduced me to submission grappling when I was 20-years-old. Since that first day, I knew this is what I wanted to pursue," Joshua told KweséESPN.
"I won various grappling competitions over the years from the Cape Classic, Destiny, GASS, to the Renzo Gracie Summer/Winter Open.
"This was my foundation into martial arts and soon I was also WP u-63kg and u-67kg Kickboxing champion," he said.
Joshua transitioned into MMA six years ago. He craved a new challenge, but more so, he wanted to experience "the feeling of a real fight".
"My first MMA fight was a featherweight bout in George at AFN4. It was against the tough Anthony Mailer in a classic striker versus grappler matchup which I won via unanimous decision.
"That experience was amazing, the nerves and atmosphere was something I wanted again," he said.
Joshua believes his solid ground game will be the difference at EFC 60 when he steps into the Hexagon with Mdlalose (4-7-0).
"Mdlalose is a good fighter and well-rounded, but I will take advantage of any mistakes and will try to end the fight quickly.
"I always dictate the fight and will put his ground game to the test because I know I have the tools to get the submission," said Joshua.
Catch all the action at EFC 60 live on Kwesé.