Ricardo Malajika (proper) jabs Yanga Sigqibo throughout their junior bantamweight battle on Aug. 23 in South Africa. (Photograph by James Gradidge)
Ricardo Malajika placed on one more virtuoso efficiency at Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa, on Friday evening, knocking out native rival Yanga Sigqibo within the 11th spherical of a junior bantamweight bout.
Sigqibo was thought of a critical risk to Malajika, having gone the 10-round distance in 2022 with present WBO champion Kosei Tanaka. He additionally had a slew of wins over varied worldwide opponents below his belt, however that didn’t assist him towards the streaking Malajika.
The primary spherical started with each fighters throwing a number of leather-based however neither touchdown as each tried to determine themselves at a distance.
Within the second, it was Malajika who took a half step ahead, jabbing to Sigqibo’s physique. He then had Sigqibo overlaying up after touchdown a proper hook round his guard. Malajika continued his assault by flurrying to the physique.
Sigqibo landed a straight proper to the chin initially of the third however then proceeded to again off, making an attempt to stroll Malajika onto a shot. The technique didn’t work. Malajika stored stalking behind a good protection and moments later landed a left hook, adopted by extra physique work.
Sigqibo had very sporadic success along with his straight proper. He landed one initially of the fourth and he would land some extra over the course of the battle, however Malajika merely walked by them. Malajika discovered a goal for his personal proper, principally thrown as a hook, and stored digging to the physique.
Malajika had an amazing spherical 5. He began to time the appropriate of Sigqibo higher, ducking beneath it and stepping round his opponent. He let fly along with his personal combos that had Sigqibo backing up.
Malajika doubled and tripled his jab within the sixth. A mix ended by a proper hook behind the ear despatched Sigqibo to the canvas for the primary time. He bought up and Malajika went after him, digging in hooks downstairs after which bringing them as much as the top. Sigqibo one way or the other managed to outlive the spherical.
Sigqibo made a last-ditch try to show the battle round within the seventh, beginning aggressively, however Malajika stopped him in his tracks with an influence jab. Moments later, Sigqibo’s head was snapped again by a straight proper adopted by a one-two.
From then on, Malajika gave the impression to be in cruise management, ducking beneath all the pieces Sigqibo threw and touchdown his personal photographs, driving Sigqibo right into a defensive shell.
A giant left hook by Malajika within the tenth and a follow-up flurry seconds later had Sigqibo taking place on a knee, the place he was clipped by two extra glancing blows to the highest of the top. It was one way or the other dominated a slip by the referee. That did nothing to discourage Malajika, who stored going to the physique. A type of combos punctuated by a proper hook to the top lastly despatched Sigqibo down for the second official knockdown of the battle. As soon as once more, he bought up and noticed out the spherical.
Malajika completed proceedings in model within the eleventh spherical. He feinted the jab, Sigqibo ducked down, and as he got here up Malajika caught him flush with a superbly timed straight proper. Sigqibo collapsed to the canvas, the place he was counted out on the 1:09 mark.
Ricardo Malajika lived as much as his nickname of “Magic Man” and has now received six in a row, bringing his file to 14-2 with 10 knockouts. Yanga Sigqibo, who was stopped for the primary time in his profession, drops to 18-3-1.
In the primary supporting bout, heavyweight Chris Thompson received an unsightly unanimous eight-round determination over Romanian spoiler Alexandru Jur. The battle, which came about on the bridgerweight restrict of 224 kilos (a division not acknowledged by The Ring), by no means caught fireplace and was marred by a number of holding and mauling on the within.
Chris Thompson (left) finds the goal on Alexandru Jur’s ribs. (Photograph by James Gradidge)
Thompson, to his credit score, did what he may, utilizing his jab and popping Jur along with his southpaw straight left. As quickly as he bought nearer, although, his opponent grabbed him and held on till the referee separated them.
Thompson tried to convey Jur’s guard down along with his straight left to the physique within the third. He managed to land a double proper hook to the top, backed Jur to a nook along with his jab after which opened up with a mixture that was quickly smothered.
After Thompson landed a superb straight left within the fourth, and after extra clinching ensued, Jur lastly confirmed some aggression. He landed a proper uppercut to the physique adopted by a hook to the top that made Thompson return to his jab.
Thompson stored touchdown his jab and the odd straight left, working with no matter hand he may get free within the clinches over the following two rounds. He managed a superb proper uppercut within the seventh and a straight left-right uppercut later within the spherical.
He began the eighth aggressively, however to no avail as Jur grabbed him and held on for expensive life till the ultimate bell.
Scores had been 79-73, 79-72 and 80-71. For Chris Thompson, who’s now 14-6-1 with seven stoppages, a win is a win. Alexandru Jur dropped to 21-6 and was solely there to outlive.
Undercard outcomes:
Snamiso Ntuli W UD 8 Donjuan van Heerden (mild heavyweight)
Keanu Koopman W UD 6 Lancelot Moyo (welterweight)
Juan Alberts KO 1 Mpendulo Ranapo (heavyweight)
Dean Promnick KO 2 Thando Mali (middleweight)
The cardboard was introduced by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions.
