Kenya’s Javan Buyu and Uganda’s Catherine Nanziri delivered the defining performances of an explosive SportPesa Boxing Night, securing emphatic stoppage victories at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi, on Saturday night.
Buyu produced a commanding display to stop Tanzania’s Ramadhan Idd in the second round and claim the vacant UBO Intercontinental lightweight title.
The Kenyan added the belt to his National Lightweight and Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) lightweight crowns, strengthening his position as one of the country’s leading emerging boxing talents.
Earlier in the evening, Nanziri was even more ruthless, stopping Tanzania’s Husna Zamba after just one minute and seven seconds of the opening round to win the vacant PST super bantamweight title.
The Ugandan’s latest triumph adds to an impressive collection of titles that includes her Ugandan national, East and Central Africa and Africa Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight belts.
Buyu’s main-event contest began at a high tempo, with Idd using his speed and timing to trouble the Kenyan during the opening exchanges.
But as the fight progressed, Buyu began to assert his authority, repeatedly targeting his opponent’s body before delivering the decisive blow.
A crushing body shot left Idd clutching his ribs and unable to continue, forcing the referee to end the contest after two minutes and 13 seconds of the second round.
Buyu said the stoppage was the result of a strategy developed after his team studied footage of the Tanzanian’s 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 victory had a special meaning for Buyu, who said having his mother present made the achievement even more memorable.
“It feels great to win the UBO title. Winning in front of my mum was one of my dreams. It feels very good.”
Buyu also acknowledged the support he has received from his promoters and sponsors while setting his sights on greater achievements.
“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 was equally one-sided, with the Ugandan immediately taking control from the opening bell.
She first split Zamba’s lower lip with a jab before landing a devastating punch to the right side of the Tanzanian’s torso. The impact left Zamba unable to continue, prompting the referee to halt the fight.
Nanziri credited her dominant performance to a strong training camp and rigorous preparation.
“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.”
Despite the swift conclusion, Nanziri said she had prepared for 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.
The Ugandan also rejected suggestions that the contest had been 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 secured, Nanziri has already turned her attention to the next challenge and is targeting a world championship.
“I’m now looking forward to the WBC title. I’m so ready,” she said.
The undercard maintained the intensity of the main title bouts, with several fighters recording stoppage victories.
DR Congo’s Lucien Botumbe stopped Uganda’s Taafi Odoyi in the second round of their super middleweight contest.
Kenya’s Michael Oduor also delivered a dominant performance, needing just one minute and 17 seconds of aggressive boxing to dispatch Uganda’s Fredrick Okou in their super welterweight bout.
Kenyan flyweight Jin Shen registered another stoppage victory, forcing a fourth-round technical knockout against debuting compatriot Calvin Omondi.
Morocco’s Nasro Habib provided one of the night’s most spectacular finishes when he flattened Kenya’s Nicodemus Hagai with a first-round knockout after one minute and 24 seconds.
Several other bouts, however, went the full distance and were decided on the judges’ scorecards.
Kenya’s Musa Najib defeated Uganda’s Ignatius Onyango by unanimous decision in the light heavyweight contest, while Jamal Hathwani upset Morocco’s Hamsa Bounabri by unanimous decision in the featherweight division.
Alice Waiyego edged Uganda’s Mercy Acayo by split decision in the women’s featherweight contest.
Ethiopia’s Roman Asefa secured a unanimous decision victory over Kenya’s Jane Kavulani, while Teddy Murimi outpointed fellow Kenyan Meshack Okuku by unanimous decision in the super welterweight division.
The scheduled super lightweight contest between Kenya’s John Juma and Uganda’s Ben Ssababi was declared a no contest after Ssababi failed his pre-fight medical.
SportPesa Head of Marketing Senorine Wasike described the event as another significant milestone in the company’s support for boxing development in Kenya.
“It’s been a fantastic night. We’ve had SportPesa Boxing and it’s been an exciting night,” she said.
Wasike also highlighted Buyu’s journey through the SportPesa-backed Rising Stars programme, saying the boxer had demonstrated significant progress.
“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 praised the quality of the card despite several challenges that emerged before the event.
“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 said Buyu’s latest victory marked an important step towards establishing the Kenyan as an international boxing star.
“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.”
