By Ron Jackson
Former IBO junior featherweight champion Ludumo Lamati from Mdantsane who now fights out of Gauteng returned to action for the first time since 19 June last year, to score a one-sided ten round unanimous points decision over Tanzanian Haidari Mchanjo at the Booysens Boxing Club in Booysens, Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon, in an International junior featherweight bout.
The scores were 97-92 and 100-90 twice.
Another belt was introduced to the multitude of boxing belts around the world when it was announced that the winner would be presented with the WBC Ubuntu belt.
The 30-year-old Lamati (55.32kg) using all his height and reach advantages and boxing from behind an educated left jab kept the much smaller Mchanjo (55.04kg) on the outside throughout the fight.
Lamati (19-1, 10 KOs) looked in fine shape and was in command throughout the fight but appeared to fade in the last three rounds.
The gutsy 24-year-old Mchanjo (16-10-5, 6 KOs) who was in superb condition began scoring with sharp lefts and rights to the head in rounds ten, eleven and twelve, despite two of the judges having it a shutout.
Lamati who has held the South African and IBF Intercontinental junior featherweight belts won the vacant IBO junior featherweight belt in June last year in a closely fought encounter against Jose Martin Estrada Garcia on a majority decision but soon afterwards relinquished the belt.
UNDERCARD
Bantamweight: Mawanda Mbusi W rsf 5 Abel Ndava.
Bantamweight: Sinekosi Mlotshwa draw 6 Akani Samba.
Middleweight: Wade Groth W 6 Dido Mukaya (DRC).