18/09/2026
We remember "Mzukisi Sikali"
Mzukisi Sikali
30 July 1971 – 16 September 2005
South African boxer who served as a world champion in three different weight categories: junior flyweight, flyweight, and super flyweight.
Mzukisi Sikali was born in Uitenhage, Tinhara on 30 July 1971.He was passionate about boxing from a very young age.He turned professional when he was 19 years old and won his first South African national boxing title in 1992.
He won his first world title as early as 1996 when he took Nungdiaw Sakcharuporn’s World Boxing Union (WBU) light-flyweight title in Bangkok. And he continued to be a well-travelled fighter thereafter, campaigning in all the continents and In 1997 he lost the WBU light-flyweight title he had won in Thailand in 1996 to another Thai, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Sikali went to Italy and won the WBU super-flyweight title from Luigi Castiglione in the Adriatic resort of San Benedetto del Tronto in August 1998. He defended it against the Sicilian Mercurio Ciaramitaro in February 1999, but lost it on a split decision in a second meeting with Castiglione in June of that year.
But his most spectacular (and in the eyes of the pundits most unexpected) success was the manner in which he relieved Masibulele “Hawk” Makepula of his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight title in September 2002. Before the fight, at Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa, on September 14, few commentators gave Sikali, a man known for rather enjoying life, much chance against the disciplined and deeply religious Makepula.
In a bout dubbed locally as “Flyweight Fury”, such opinions were confounded as Sikali went resolutely after his man, following an initially quiet first round. By the end of the seventh even the champion’s fans were begging the referee to rescue him from further punishment from the challenger. In the event, Makepula had a much better second half, actually staggering Sikali with a right hook in the tenth. But at the end of 12 rounds there was no doubt that Sikali was the new champion.
In the return match the following October in 2003, again in Brakpan, Sikali’s superiority was even more evident. This time the referee was compelled to rescue Makepula after only four rounds. In a further defence against Monelisi Mhikiza Myekeni in September 2004 Sikali retained the title on points over 12 rounds.
Through it all, Mike Segal was involved in promoting his fights and the years were beginning to catch up with him. In March 2005 Sikali flew to Sydney to meet the IBF flyweight title holder, Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan. Sikali’s skills proved inadequate to keep out the power of the Armenian-born Australian five years his junior.
After using his skills to slip Darchinyan’s punches in the early rounds Sikali found himself on the receiving end of some increasingly hard body and head punches. A halt was called in the eighth round, with Darchinyan retaining his own, and walking off with Sikali’s IBO title. Sikali did not fight again.
He was walking with a friend in Uitenhage’s KwaNobuhle township, near Port Elizabeth, when he was attacked by thugs when they asked him to hand over his cellphone.He resisted and they stabbed him as he tried to defend himself but the wounds that he sustained when he tried to defend himself were too fatal.He passed away aged 34 and is survived by a daughter and a son.The killers were later apprehended.May his soul continue to rest in peace.🕊️
