The fight for the World Junior Bantamweight Championship of the International Boxing Organization (IBO), set Nov. 10 at the posh Emperor’s Palace Hotel and Casino Resort in Johannesburg, South Africa, is on.
North Cotabato fighter Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong, 27, a native of Barangay Pag-asa, M’lang, and Zulu fighter Gideon Buthelezi both made the 115-pound weight limit during the official weigh-in held at the Emperor Palace Complex yesterday.
Dapudong, who lost in his first attempt to become a world champion to Mexico’s Hernan “Tyson” Marquez in a controversial stoppage in Mexico early this year, hopes to win the 12-round fight to finally achieve North Cotabato’s dream of producing a world boxing champion.
Buthelezi, on the other hand, hopes to regain his fame in South Africa after he lost his world miniflyweight title a few years back.
Dapudong has the advantage in this fight having won four consecutive bouts since losing to Marquez while Buthelezi is coming from a knockout loss to Mexico’s Adrian Hernandez.
The fight will be televised in South Africa and other countries in the African continent.
Assigned as officials of the fight are Lulama Miya of South Africa who will be the referee and judges Tony Nyangiwe of South Africa, Michael Pernick of Miami, Florida and Reg Thompson of London.
The fight will start at about 7:45 p.m. South African time. It will be about 1:45 a.m. Nov. 11 in the Philippines.
