Two of South Africa’s finest talents will clash heads for the IBO World Super Flyweight title this weekend. Ricardo Malajika and Yanga Sigqibo are hoping to climb the rankings with a win and secure better opportunities in the near future. Here is our Malajika vs Sigqibo prediction.
Malajika vs Sigqibo Prediction: South Africa’s Finest Super Flyweights
Ricardo Malajika Preview
Isn’t it time for Ricardo Malajika to make his international debut? This is what’s going to happen if he defends his IBO World Super Flyweight title for the second time this weekend.
The 25-year-old Johannesburg native is now the #7 ranked Super Flyweight in the WBC rankings. With a 13-2 record and an impressive 9 knockouts, he is the hottest prospect out of South Africa.
He began his professional career in 2018 and immediately gained recognition in his home country, where he has fought exclusively throughout his entire career. He suffered two decision defeats early on but is now riding a 5-win streak.
The level of his opposition has been increasing and he shocked the world last year when he defeated Kevin Luis Munoz for the IBO belt. Earlier this year, he defended it for the first time, defeating Marcel Braithwaite, the Commonwealth champion, via unanimous decision. It was a completely one-sided affair, with all three judges scoring it 120-108.
He will now face one of the most experienced South African Super Flyweights in Yanga Sigqibo. Let’s take a closer look at the challenger before we give our final Malajika vs Sigqibo prediction.
Yanga Sigqibo Preview
Yanga Sigqibo is nowhere to be seen on the main boxing rankings but his experience is not to be underestimated. The 30-year-old Eastern Cape native has an 18-2-1 record and has faced some of the best Super Flyweights in the world already and looks to win his most significant title to date.
Sigqibo turned pro in 2013 and like his opponent, has fought almost entirely in South Africa. His only international bout was in Japan, where he faced Kosei Tanaka and lost via unanimous decision. But this clash was far from one-sided and it proved that Yanga has the qualities to fight the best in the world. Moreover, Tanaka recently became the WBO World Super Flyweight Champion.
Yanga Sigqibo has already won a variety of belts during his career. He has won the WBC International, WBO Inter-Continental, and IBF African Super Flyweight belts.
Our Ricardo Malajika vs Yanga Sigqibo Prediction
Both sides promised fireworks at the Emperors Palace this weekend as the trainers of both fighters came out with statements. Of course, both sides claim that their boxer will dominate and win. If you ask us, we have to side with the champion for our Malajika vs Sigqibo prediction.
On paper, the odds are not that far apart, although the champ is the betting favorite. He is gaining momentum and is five years younger than his opponent, who has also been quite inactive and last fought a year ago.
Their styles are also very different – Sigqibo prefers to work as the second number and move forward and backward while Malajika has an aggressive style, backed with destructive knockout power. While both fighters were born in South Africa, the champion will fight in his home city and the crowd will be chanting his name. We predict Malajika to win with a late stoppage.
Vlad is a former amateur MMA fighter. After a series of injuries, he found a different way to connect with the sport and its fanbase - through writing. He's been covering everything-UFC for over 5 years on various platforms and has been part of the team at NYFights since early 2022.
