South African female flyweight champion Noxolo Makhanavu is heart broken and has pulled out of her title defence against Simangele Hadebe. Makhanavu was due to meet Hadebe in a TLB Boxing Promotions’ tournament at the Graceland Casino in Secunda, Mpumalanga, on Saturday, 20 March. However, the fight has since been cancelled after Makhanavu collapsed while jogging with her brother Xola Sifama on Tuesday evening. “My fight is off. I collapsed while jogging with Xola on Tuesday. The doctor said that I’ve got low blood and has advised me against fighting. I’m heart broken because I worked very hard for this fight,” Makhanavu said. The 35-year-old East London boxer, who is trained by Kholisile Cengani, went for a brain scan at Frere Hospital last Friday. The brain scan results came back on Wednesday and confirmed that Makhanavu is okay. This was going to be Makhanavu’s first fight since she stopped Portia Base at the Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre in August 2017.
Makhanavu was going to fight on the under card of five-time world champion Hekkie Budler’s 10 rounds international flyweight fight against Tanzanian boxer Muhsin Kizota.
Meanwhile, former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) and World Boxing Federation (WBF) lightweight champion Xolisani ‘Nomeva’ Ndongeni is also fighting in the same tournament. Ndongeni, who suffered a shock stoppage loss to Prince Dlomo in October 2020, is going to square up against Malawian boxer Byson Gwayan.
