The conveyor belt that keeps churning out champions at the Durandt Gym in Johannesburg is ready to produce yet another champion as Brandon Thysse faces off against Nkhensahosi Makondo this coming Saturday.
Thysse will be hoping for third time lucky as he clashes with Makondo in a vacant South African junior-middleweight title contest at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park.
“I strongly believe in my fighter. I believe that Brandon is going to become the SA champion. He has never been scared of a fight,” Thysse’s trainer Damien Durandt said.
“I have watched Makondo before. I expect him to come to us and give 100 percent of himself. However, I believe in Brandon’s skill and ability. The SA title is due to him, it’s something he needs to accomplish.”
This is going to be the third time Thysse will be trying to win the same title. He lost to Nkululeko Mhlongo in September 2017 and also failed to dethrone former champion Shervantaigh Koopman in September last year.
With the fight coming up, Durandt is looking at producing his fourth SA champion when Thysse collides with Makondo.
“I have produced three SA champions and the fourth is loading. I could have had four SA champions had it not been for Barend van Rooyen who was stripped of his title after it was found out that he had used his diabetes tablets,” Durandt said.
The Durandt Gym has so far produced 100 SA champions with Damien’s late dad Nick Durandt having won 97 national titles. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
