SAINT JULIAN’S: Muhammad Waseem defeated Jaba Memishishi in their bantamweight match on Saturday with an impressive knockout in the later rounds.
Waseem was eager to return to winning after losing to Sunny Edwards in 2022 when he challenged for the IBF flyweight title. Since that loss, Waseem moved up in weight classes and fought his first bantamweight match against Georgia’s Memishishi in St. Julian’s, after his original opponent dropped out. Waseem landed a powerful right hook that knocked Memishishi down, earning him his ninth knockout victory.
“I’m thankful for the support and look forward to bringing more wins for my country,” Waseem said after his victory.
The former title challenger climbed in the World Boxing Federation’s (WBF) bantamweight rankings. His overall record now stands at 13 wins and 2 losses, with nine knockouts. The two-time WBC silver champion is aiming for a title in this new weight class. He was supposed to face South Africa’s Sabelo Cebekhulu for the vacant WBF world bantamweight title in Saturday’s fight, but the match was postponed, and a new date will be announced soon.
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This upcoming fight will be Waseem’s third attempt at becoming a world champion, following a close decision loss to Cebekhulu’s countryman, Moruti Mthalane, for the IBF world flyweight title, and another loss to Sunny Edwards four years later.
For Cebekhulu, this will be his first chance to earn a world title in just his eighth fight. His last match was against Layten Gloss in 2023, where he won by Technical Knockout in the third round.
