Kenyan boxer Javan Buyu and Uganda’s Catherine Nanziri delivered the standout performances of a thrilling SportPesa Boxing Night, securing emphatic stoppage victories at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi, on Saturday.
Buyu captured the vacant UBO Intercontinental lightweight title after stopping Tanzania’s Ramadhan Idd in the second round, adding another major belt to his National Lightweight and Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) lightweight titles.
Nanziri was even quicker, demolishing Tanzania’s Husna Zamba in one minute and seven seconds of the opening round to win the vacant PST super bantamweight title. The Ugandan added the crown to her national, East and Central Africa and Africa Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight belts.
Idd initially gave Buyu plenty to think about in the main event, using his speed and timing to unsettle the Kenyan in the early stages.
But Buyu soon found his rhythm, targeting the body with increasing intensity before a powerful shot to the ribs ended the contest. Idd was left clutching his side and unable to beat the stoppage, with the fight ending after two minutes and 13 seconds of the second round.
Buyu revealed that his team had deliberately targeted Idd’s body after studying footage of his previous fights.
“The fight wasn’t easy. It was tough, but it was part of the plan… to pressure him in the first few rounds, maybe up to the fifth, then start boxing with him,” he said.
“We watched clips from his previous fights and one thing was certain—he had never been touched on the body. So the moment I started landing punches to the body, he started clinching and getting scared of fighting. But I’ll say he had good timing in the first round.”
The new UBO champion said the victory was made even more special by having his mother in attendance.
“It feels great to win the UBO title. Winning in front of my mum was one of my dreams. It feels very good.”
He also paid tribute to UFS, SportPesa and promoter Maurice Odera for backing his career and giving him the platform to fight for the title.
“I’d like to thank UFS, SportPesa and promoter Maurice Odera for choosing me and giving me this golden opportunity to represent Kenya and become a champion,” he said.
“As I said earlier, I wish to mentor and encourage young fighters. Additionally, I’m looking forward to representing Kenya on bigger stages and globally.”
Nanziri’s rematch with Zamba proved to be a one-sided affair from the opening bell, with the Ugandan immediately imposing her authority.
She split Zamba’s lower lip with a jab before connecting with a devastating shot to the right side of her opponent’s torso. Zamba was unable to continue, prompting the referee to bring the contest to an early end.
Nanziri credited her intensive preparation for the dominant performance.
“The fight was so easy for me because I think I prepared so much better and trained hard. That’s why I fought easily,” she said.
“In camp, I had the best coaches and the best sponsors—Friends of Boxing. It’s a great pleasure that I’ve been supported well to reach this win.”
The Ugandan said she had expected a much longer contest.
“It wasn’t my plan to finish the fight in the first round. I had prepared to go for all eight rounds. But I was so good… that’s why I won the fight in the first round,” she said.
She also dismissed claims that the fight was a mismatch.
“It wasn’t a mismatch. It’s me who trained hard. My coach is an Olympian and so am I. She (Zamba) came for revenge, I came for the win.”
With another title now secured, Nanziri is already looking beyond continental honours and towards the global stage.
“I’m now looking forward to the WBC title. I’m so ready,” she said.
The supporting bouts maintained the night’s high-octane atmosphere, with several fighters recording stoppages.
DR Congo’s Lucien Botumbe halted Uganda’s Taafi Odoyi in the second round of their super middleweight clash, while Kenya’s Michael Oduor stopped Uganda’s Fredrick Okou after one minute and 17 seconds of aggressive action in their super welterweight bout.
Kenyan flyweight Jin Shen also registered a stoppage, forcing a fourth-round technical knockout against compatriot Calvin Omondi, who was making his debut.
Morocco’s Nasro Habib produced one of the night’s most spectacular moments, knocking out Kenya’s Nicodemus Hagai in the opening round after one minute and 24 seconds.
Not every contest ended inside the distance, however.
Musa Najib of Kenya defeated Uganda’s Ignatius Onyango by unanimous decision in the light heavyweight category, while Jamal Hathwani upset Morocco’s Hamsa Bounabri on points in the featherweight division.
Alice Waiyego secured a split-decision victory over Uganda’s Mercy Acayo in the women’s featherweight category. Ethiopia’s Roman Asefa defeated Kenya’s Jane Kavulani by unanimous decision, while Teddy Murimi won a unanimous decision against fellow Kenyan Meshack Okuku in the super welterweight division.
The scheduled super lightweight bout between Kenya’s John Juma and Uganda’s Ben Ssababi ended without a contest after Ssababi failed his pre-fight medical examination.
SportPesa Head of Marketing Senorine Wasike said the event demonstrated the company’s growing commitment to developing boxing talent in Kenya.
“It’s been a fantastic night. We’ve had SportPesa Boxing and it’s been an exciting night,” she said.
Wasike pointed to Buyu’s rise as an example of the impact of the company’s Rising Stars programme.
“We also sponsor the Rising Stars, which Javan was part of. We’ve seen him not only grow but also get some wins. Next, we are planning a bigger fight in November, so look out for us.”
UFS BXNG promoter Maurice Odera said the event had delivered despite several challenges in the build-up.
“Tonight’s fights were amazing apart from a few challenges. We had one fighter from Uganda who didn’t pass his medical and we also had three pull-outs, which meant late replacements. But all in all, everything has gone well,” said Odera.
“The support we are getting from SportPesa is unbelievable. Without them, there’s no high-level boxing in Kenya. Ever since we joined forces, we are now the only ones doing high-level boxing,” he added.
Odera described Buyu as the leading light of the new generation of Kenyan boxers.
“The cream of the crop was Javan Buyu. We are taking him to the world stage. We will expose him gradually. Winning this belt makes him the number one-ranked Kenyan in the division,” he said.
“SportPesa took him under their wing when he was still young and we are going to take him all the way to a world title since they believe in champions in addition to their focus on grassroots development.”
