Javan Buyu of Kenya and Uganda’s Catherine Nanziri produced explosive performances to headline SportPesa Boxing Night, both securing convincing stoppage victories during a dramatic evening of boxing at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi, on Saturday.
Buyu claimed the vacant UBO Intercontinental lightweight championship after forcing Tanzania’s Ramadhan Idd to quit in the second round, adding the prestigious title to his National Lightweight and Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) lightweight crowns.
Nanziri needed even less time to make her mark, stopping Tanzania’s Husna Zamba after just one minute and seven seconds of the first round to secure the vacant PST super bantamweight title.
The Ugandan’s latest achievement adds to an impressive collection of belts, including her Ugandan national, East and Central Africa and Africa Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight titles.
The main event opened at a blistering pace, with Idd relying on quick movement and sharp timing to give Buyu problems in the early exchanges.
Buyu, however, gradually turned the tide, stepping up his attacks to the body before landing the decisive blow. A crushing body shot left Idd clutching his ribs and unable to continue, with the referee stopping the fight after two minutes and 13 seconds of the second round.
Buyu said his team had identified the body as an area they could exploit after studying Idd’s previous bouts.
“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.”
For Buyu, winning the UBO title in front of his mother added a deeply personal dimension to the achievement.
“It feels great to win the UBO title. Winning in front of my mum was one of my dreams. It feels very good.”
The Kenyan champion also expressed gratitude to the organisations behind his rise and said he was determined to use his success to inspire the next generation.
“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, meanwhile, left no doubt about her superiority in the rematch against Zamba.
The Ugandan came out aggressively, splitting Zamba’s lower lip with a jab before connecting with a powerful shot to the right side of her opponent’s torso. Zamba could not continue, forcing the referee to stop the contest.
Nanziri attributed the emphatic victory to the quality of her preparations.
“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 quick victory surprised even Nanziri, who had prepared for a full eight-round battle.
“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 rejected the idea that Zamba had been overmatched.
“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.”
Nanziri is now targeting a much bigger prize, setting her sights on a WBC world title.
“I’m now looking forward to the WBC title. I’m so ready,” she said.
The night’s undercard provided plenty of excitement, with a number of fighters also securing stoppage victories.
DR Congo’s Lucien Botumbe stopped Uganda’s Taafi Odoyi in the second round of their super middleweight bout. Kenya’s Michael Oduor was equally ruthless, dispatching Uganda’s Fredrick Okou after just one minute and 17 seconds of aggressive action in their super welterweight contest.
Kenyan flyweight Jin Shen recorded another stoppage win, forcing a fourth-round technical knockout against fellow Kenyan Calvin Omondi, who was making his professional debut.
Nasro Habib of Morocco produced one of the evening’s most memorable finishes, knocking out Kenya’s Nicodemus Hagai in the first round after one minute and 24 seconds.
There were also several competitive bouts that went the full distance.
Kenya’s Musa Najib secured a unanimous decision against Uganda’s Ignatius Onyango in the light heavyweight category, while Jamal Hathwani of Morocco suffered an upset defeat to Kenya’s Hamsa Bounabri by unanimous decision in the featherweight division.
Alice Waiyego claimed a split-decision victory over Uganda’s Mercy Acayo in the women’s featherweight contest. Ethiopia’s Roman Asefa defeated Kenya’s Jane Kavulani by unanimous decision, while Teddy Murimi secured a unanimous decision victory against compatriot Meshack Okuku in the super welterweight division.
The scheduled super lightweight encounter between Kenya’s John Juma and Uganda’s Ben Ssababi did not take place after Ssababi failed his pre-fight medical.
SportPesa Head of Marketing Senorine Wasike said the event represented another important step in the company’s support for Kenyan boxing.
“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 development through the SportPesa-backed 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 praised the night’s action while acknowledging challenges that affected the card 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 believes Buyu is ready to become the face of Kenyan boxing on the international stage.
“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.”
