Former World Boxing Council super-bantamweight champion Fatuma Zarika will return to the ring tonight, a year after her unanimous decision loss to Mexican Yamileth Mercado.
The Kenyan will have a stab at the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) featherweight title in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in a 10-round contest against Patience Mastara of Zimbabwe.
Zarika has 32 wins, 12 loses and two draws (32-12-2) under her belt while Mastara has a 5-6-3 record and last fought in May last year where she battled to a draw against compatriot Netsai Bondayi.
Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) secretary Franklin ‘Kuja’ Imbenzi and Jackson Group Director, Kelvin Twissa confirmed that the bouts will feature four international boxing matches including two female bouts which will feature boxers from five different countries with representation from Argentina, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
Zulfa “Macho” Yusufu also from Tanzania is up against Zimbabwean Alice Mbewe in the other women’s six-round flyweight contest.
Zarika, who had since shifted her base from Nairobi to the United Arab Emirates where she works as a gym instructor, landed in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday and was welcomed by the fight promoter Kevin Twisa – the Director of Jackson Group which is sponsoring the fight.
Zarika hopes to use the fight to gauge her speed and strength with an eye on a rematch with Mercado.
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