They were due to have met in March, but an injury to Yamkela Phaliso forced the organisers of his fight to look for another opponent to face off against Zolisa Batyi.
The reigning South African featherweight champion ended up clashing against Lucky Hobyane whom he stopped in the eighth round at the Orient Theatre in East London in March. Batyi will now finally meet Phaliso at the Orient Theatre on Saturday, 31 August.
“Yes, we’ve got the contracts now. The fight is going to take place in August,” Batyi’s manager Baba ‘Babes’ Makala confirmed.
Batyi will be making the third defence of the title he won after he stopped Jeff Magagane in the second round at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane, in December 2022.
Batyi drew with Abdul-Aziz Kunert in his first defence, which was held at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Bellville, Cape Town, in August last year. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
