CAPE'S WORLD CHAMP

KHAYELITSHA fighter Khaya Mlata has put Cape Town boxing on the world map again by bringing home the coveted green belt of the WBC.

This is no ordinary belt. The WBC Youth Super Bantamweight title is a stepping stone only a few special fighters ever get to touch and even fewer go on to carve their names in boxing history. Mlata now joins that elite list.

He claimed the title with a hard-fought decision win over the dangerous Ardy Katompa', from the DRC, at Emperors Palace', in Johannesburg, over the weekend.

It wasn’t an easy night. Mlata, known for his technical sharpness and ability to adjust mid-fight, faced a heavy hitter who carries knockout power in every punch. And in the very first round, he felt that power by getting dropped hard.

Reflecting on that knockdown moment, Mlata said, "That’s what woke me up. I knew I had to switch back into my style and take control of the fight." That early knockdown turned out to be a wake-up call. From there, Mlata tightened up, kept the jab busy, and executed a strategy that eventually saw him edge out Katompa in a split decision.

Winning the WBC Youth title puts Mlata in rare company. When you speak about champions who have held this belt, names like Saul "Canelo" Álvarez, Danny García and Julio César Chávez Jr. come up, fighters who all went on to become world champions and household names in the sport. Mlata is now the latest addition to that list.

He received a hero's welcome at Cape Town International Airport and said he is only getting started. 

“I’m very motivated,” Mlata said. 

"To see so many people showing me support also motivates me to push even further.”

Mlata, now 9-0, remains unbeaten. Together with his coach Felix Venganayi they’ve been carefully building up to this moment. The title win was his third fight of the year and there’s no sign of slowing down.