Osborne ‘Big Daddy’ Machimana has said that there was no need for him to ask for a clearance letter from Boxing South Africa (BSA) before he left to fight in Russia because he is not a BSA licensee.
Machimana ‘sneaked’ out of South Africa to fight in Russia last Thursday. He was flattened in the first round by inexperienced Kazakhstan boxer Danila Semenov, who was fighting in only his third professional bout.
“It’s true that BSA never cleared me because I don’t fight under BSA anymore. I’m registered in Tanzania. I got a clearance from there,” Machimana said.
The 42-year-old erstwhile South African heavyweight champion stepped into the ring weighing 156 kilograms. The fight was scheduled for six rounds.
The 21-year-old Semenov from Kostanay in Kazakhstan made his professional debut in October 2020 after fighting 10 times in the amateur ranks. He won four and lost six.
Meanwhile, Mncedisi Ngqumba from BSA confirmed that Machimana is not their licensee thus they didn’t clear him for his fight in Russia.
