After failing to secure fights since he last entered the ring for a competitive bout in December 2022, Gcina Makhoba will finally lace his gloves when he squares up against Filipino boxer Genisis Libranza next month.
Libranza will make yet another trip to South Africa in almost 12 months after his first visit to the country in August last year. He lost to Phumelela ‘The Truth’ Cafu in a vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental junior-bantamweight title fight in Orlando East, Soweto.
Makhoba’s World Boxing Federation (WBF) junior-bantamweight title defence against Libranza is scheduled for Sunday, 30 June.
“Yes, we are going to fight against a boxer from the Philippines. We will be defending our WBF title. Makhoba is working very hard to make sure that we successfully defend our title,” Makhoba’s trainer Sanele ‘Bhunu’ Mthalane confirmed.
Makhoba has nine wins (four knockouts), one loss and a draw compared to Libranza’s 21 victories (13 stoppages) and three losses.
Meanwhile, Dundee-born Makhoba has not fought since he defeated Robert Paradero from the Philippines in Dundee in December 2022. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
