Saturday night at the Lugogo Indoor Arena had everything roaring fans, fierce punches, emotional twists, and knockouts. Week 7 of the Uganda Boxing Champions League didn’t disappoint.
The main Light Middleweight bout saw Kololo High’s Nerrick Tumusiime, aka Bulabe, face off against KCCA’s Alex Kanabi with $600 up for grabs, courtesy of Hajjat Hadija Namyalo.
Bulabe started strong, landing clean punches in the first round. But Kanabi fought back, taking control in the middle rounds. By the final two, both boxers were visibly tired, turning the bout into a grind.
After a suspenseful delay, Kanabi was declared winner by unanimous decision (5:0), a result that didn’t sit well with part of the crowd.
While Kanabi celebrated the win and took the prize money, the spotlight quickly turned to Bulabe, who broke down in tears, not just over the loss, but the missed cash.
Moved by the moment, Hajjat Namyalo stepped in again, this time handing Bulabe a consolation prize. The gesture brought him to his knees in tears of joy, shouting praises and sparking chants of “NRM!” The emotional turnaround stole the night.
In the women’s Elite Heavyweight division, Swabura Nakato (Lukanga BC) dominated Nakabira Peace (Zebra BC) with a clear 5:0 win. Nakato controlled every round with ease.
Other Notable Bouts
• Semugayire John (Katabi ) besides fellow Katabi teammate Julius Kaddu, outclassed Kintu Yasin (Ssaku BC) in the Elite Middleweight (75kg), also winning 5:0.
• Brian Nkuruziza edged Musisi 4:3 after Musisi was penalized for repeatedly spitting out his mouth guard, a tactic the officials saw as time-wasting.
• Akim Azanga (Lukanga BC), who once took out a tooth from Bulabe back in 2018 with a punch, won via walkover after Adinan Yasin didn’t show up.
• Reagan Magumba (Lukanga BC) missed his match against Kazungu Frank due to an arm injury, handing Frank a walkover.
Edward “Pastor” Mukwaya (Kiwatule BC) brought fireworks, knocking down Juma Jjuko (Kololo High) twice in two rounds. The referee stopped the fight, giving Mukwaya his second knockout of the season.
Bashir Serugo (Lukanga BC) closed the night with a dominant performance, beating William Ssegawa (Zebra BC) across all five rounds.
The league returns Saturday, August 9 at Club Obligato, headlined by a Light Welterweight (63.5kg) bout between Farahat Manirola (Lukanga BC) and Denis Muleme (COBAP).
