Former World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Fatuma Zarika and former Africa Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight champion Rayton Okwiri may compete for WBC titles next year.
However, Zarika (40) and Okwiri (39) must first win their Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) elimination bouts, which are scheduled for November 21 at MassHouse in Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi.
Zarika will compete against Tanzanian Halima Vunajebi in the super featherweight division, and Okwiri will compete against Muhamad Sebyala from Uganda in the middleweight division. Each bout in the Kalakoda Promotions extravaganza will have eight rounds.
Fatuma Zarika works out at Broad Walk mall with her coach Marvin Obuya on October 25, 2023.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The winners are guaranteed of CBC world title fights on January 26 next year, with the potential to compete for WBC titles in August of next year. The CBC is affiliated with the WBC.
Zarika will earn a rematch with the CBC super featherweight champion, Kirsty Hill of Britain, 20 months after their clash at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England, where Hill won the title by split decision.
Okwiri’s success will earn him a date with the newly crowned CBC middleweight champion, 23-year-old Briton George Liddard. Liddard is undefeated in his 13-fight career. He won the belt on October 17 after defeating Kieron Conway with a technical knockout in the 10th round.
Kalakoda Promotions manager Greige Kalakoda said that with victories in both the CBC elimination and title bouts, Zarika will be in line for the WBC world title, while Okwiri could take a shot at the WBC silver title, which is the pathway to the WBC world title.
“We intend to hold promotions on the last Friday of every month, starting this month, as we build up to more prestigious title bouts in Nairobi towards the end of next year,” said Kalakoda. He noted that Zarika and Okwiri must compete in the elimination round after not boxing for a long time.
Middleweight boxer Rayton Okwiri works out at AV Fitness gym at Kileleshwa, Nairobi on February 21, 2023.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Zarika, who has participated in 50 bouts, with 34 wins, 14 losses, and two draws (34-14-2), made history as the first African woman to win a WBC super bantamweight title after beating Jamaican Alicia Ashley by split decision on October 1, 2016.
She successfully defended the title by beating Catherine Phiri of Zambia twice in a unanimous decision on December 2, 2017, and March 23, 2019, and by taking a split decision against Yamileth Mercado of Mexico on September 8, 2018, all in Nairobi.
However, Mercado claimed sweet revenge on November 16, 2019, taking a unanimous decision against Zarika back home.
Zarika, a mother of two, has engaged in three bouts since then, winning two and losing one to Hill for the CBC title.
Her opponent, Vunajebi, has a record of 16-14-1 and last fought on June 14 of this year, losing to Melissa Mortensen of Denmark in a non-title contest.
“I am ready for a good fight with Vunajebi, whom I respect. She has a good record,” said Zarika, noting her main goal is to have a rematch with Hill.
“I wasn’t happy with the split decision, but I understand she was fighting on her home turf. I would like to win at home in a clean way,” said Zarika, who has been training under coach Marvin Obuya.
Okwiri has a record of 11-1-1, and Sebyala has a record of 23-15-1. Sebyala won the ABU title in 2019 but relinquished it when he opted to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He failed in his quest for the IBF international super welterweight title in 2022, losing to Congolese boxer Emmany Kalombo in the seventh round. Sebyala last fought in September of last year in Mauritius, where he beat Freeman Mabvongwe of Zimbabwe.
