Just after he successfully defended his South African featherweight title, Dundee-born national champion Lindelani Sibisi called out SA junior-featherweight titlist Siyabulela Hem to fight against him.
Sibisi made a first successful defence of his crown when he scored a unanimous decision victory over challenger Bongani Fule at the Jan Smuts Stadium in KuGompo City on Saturday evening. He won the title after he stopped Zolisa Batyi at the Orient Theatre, KuGompo City, in May last year.
“We had Fule and Hem challenging me. We are now done with Fule and Hem must come if he still wants to fight me. I’m even prepared to go down to the junior-featherweight just to go get his title,” Sibisi said.
Before the Duncan Village-born Hem suffered a shock 10th round stoppage loss to Congolese boxer Ardy Katompa at the Orient Theatre last month, his handlers had fought hard for him to challenge Sibisi. They took the matter to arbitration where three arbitrators, in a unanimous ruling, ruled that Sibisi must defend against Fule, who was the mandatory challenger.
And talking about his fight against Fule, Sibisi said: “I’m very happy to have won another fight in the Eastern Cape, a province that has good boxers. It’s great that I returned home with the title after fighting against a very tough opponent in Fule. This was a difficult fight for me. The Eastern Cape has been good to me and I don’t have a problem in returning for another fight.” – Monwabisi Jimlongo
