Anyango to fight Machela as she defends her PST title

After struggling to get an opponent, ferocious Praxides Anyango is finally set to return to the ring at the Edge Convention Centre in Nairobi on October 10 to defend her Pugilist Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) crown.

Anyango will slug it off against Flora Machela of Tanzania in the 10-round women’s super-featherweight title bout (59kg) that is being promoted by Maurice Odera of UFS BXNG.

The anticipated thrilling face-off will be one of the two co-main events of the seven-card bout night, expected to drive the crowd crazy.

Gaming firm SportPesa has come on board to support the bouts and make the fights memorable to fans.

“We are also glad that other partners like the Imani Flowers, the Edge Convention Center and the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) are also in this ship to create an experience of a lifetime to the Kenyan boxing fraternity,” Odera told Standard Sports.

Anyango has promised her legion of fans fireworks in the night, pledging to deliver a show worth remembering.

“I’m fit. I have been told this fight early enough, so I’m having adequate time for preparation. I’m leaving no stone unturned. I have no excuse not to win this match,” says Anyango, who ups her training at the Pal Pal Gym in Nairobi.

“This is my first challenge of the season and I’m not ready to go down. I have worked so well on my sparring, endurance, weight and punches, so Machela should be ready for pain in the ring,” says Anyango, who won her last fight last December in Nairobi.

Anyango has had difficulty securing an opponent to defend her PST title.

On May 24 this year, Ugandan boxer Lydia Mukhisa withdrew from the Umeme Night-Hakuna Mchezo showdown staged at Charter Hall in Nairobi at the 11th hour.

Despite travelling hundreds of kilometers from Kampala, Mukhisa did not step into the ring for the crunch fixture, leaving Anyango dismayed.

Away from the women’s duel, the other co-main event of UFS BXNG night will be the men’s Kenya National Lightweight title contest (61kg) pitting compatriots Javan Buyu against Christopher Osicho in a 10-round contest.

Apart from eyeing a first national crown, Osicho will be out for a second victory in his professional stint, which has a total of five outings.

On the other hand, things seem to be on a roller coaster ride for Buyu, who joined the paid ranks last May.

Buyu, who is equally looking for a first-ever title in the sport, has destroyed opponents both home and away, winning all three professional fights.

The two co-main events will curtain raise for the main fight of the night, which will see Lucien ‘Bam Bam’  Botumbe of the Democratic Republic of Congo take on Kenneth Lukyamuzi of Uganda in a 10-round East and Central African Middleweight title contest.

Hard punching Botumbe is fresh from victories in Zambia and Congo in June and July where he upped his decorated career to 13 fights:12 wins, 10 KOs and 1 loss.

Lukyamuzi is headed to the adrenaline-filled match-up on the backdrop of two victories bagged in Kampala in the last two years.

There will be four other non-title bouts in the night, in the super lightweight, middle, super bantamweight and the super welterweight categories which will be equally thrilling.

Odera has urged fans to secure their tickets in time.

“Through this championship, we pledge to give Kenyans quality shows by delivering world class bouts. Tickets for the fights can be bought online at ticketsasa.com, the general tickets goes for Sh1000 while the ring side tickets goes for Sh3500,”said Odera who has encouraged more corporates to come on board.

KPBC President Reuben Ndolo has hailed the upcoming fights, saying Kenya is now the ‘Mecca of Boxing’ in East Africa going by the frequency with which high level bouts are being held in Nairobi.

“We recently saw the entry of the Ugandan promoter and the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission to operate in Kenya, the Rwandan and Democratic Republic of Congo federations have also shown interest in staging their fights here. I urge Kenyan boxers to make best use of these opportunities to build their boxing records and careers,” Ndolo said.