Sula Segawa beats Lopez of Mexico to win WBC featherweight title
The former national boxer, now a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA knocked out Lopez in the 10th round of their 12-featherweight thriller.
Segawa (centre) and his coaches after knocking out Lopez. Courtesy photos
NewVision Reporter
@NewVision
When Sulaiman Segawa, a US-based Ugandan boxer confirmed that his opponent, Mexico’s American national Misael Lopez had failed to beat the referee’s count, his after-fight words were simple.
“I’m here to emulate and succeed like my predecessors Kasim ‘The Dream’ Ouma, John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi, Ayub Kalule, and Cornelius Edward Bozza. I want to raise my country's flag to the top in the boxing circles. It is a long journey but trust me I will walk it. This is just the beginning,” Segawa said.
This is what describes how fearless and determined Segawa is, a man who grew up in the slums of Kasubi a Kampala suburb in Lubaga division.
The former national boxer, now a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA knocked out Lopez in the 10th round of their 12-featherweight thriller.
Segawa, a former Kampala Boxing Club (KBC) boxer becomes the new WBC-USA Featherweight king, his first career major boxing title.
Their do-or-die title fight attracted thousands of fans to the DC’s Entertainment & Sports Arena.
“I’m grateful for all the support my fans world over have shown me. This belt means a lot to me. But as I said, it is just the beginning. Expect more from me,” Segawa told Vision Sports.
Segawa’s victory against Lopez now puts him at the top of the world’s top 20 boxers, according to the global rankings.
In Africa, he is ranked 3rd in the featherweight category only bettered by South Africa’s duo Lerato Dlamini and Ludumo Lamati.
He now boasts of 20 professional fights winning 16 on the turn, drawing once with three losses.
This gives him an upper hand to take a shot for the world featherweight title.
“My management will decide what our next move is. But so far my global rankings favor me to vie for a world title and we are good to go”.
Signed under Urban Boxing Gym, Segawa featured for the national boxing team “The Bombers’ between 2008 and 2016.
He was part of the national team that participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics boxing qualifiers in Cameroon.
He won Uganda a silver medal at the 2016 Eindhoven Boxing Championship in the Netherlands where he vanished with teammates Fazil Juma, Willy Kyakonye, Nasser Bukenya, and Atanus Mugerwa.