Irshaad Sayed is the No. 1 contender in the bantamweight division for EFC, the leading promotion on the African continent, but the 26 year old won't get a chance to add a second MMA title to his collection just yet, because he has other priorities.
The 9-2 South African challenger initially agreed to face 10-0 champion Demarte Pena in his native Angola this June. It would have been a fascinating title bout, pitting the two best bantamweights on the continent together in a country which is better known for its warlords than its mixed martial artists.
Sayed still expects to challenge for the title, but says as a practicing Muslim, he was simply unable to accept a fight which fell during the month of Ramadan.