Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president, Moses Muhangi has said the National Boxing League has transformed the sport both financially and sportingly and is here to stay.

Muhangi revealed this ahead of the forthcoming season 3 of the lucrative Uganda Boxing Champions League (UBCL) slated to box off this Saturday, May 26 at MTN Arena Lugogo.

“If I’m to rate the UBCL in its first two seasons, we have already hit the jackpot. Our achievements are at 85% and we are still progressing. In the end, even our critics will concur with us that we had a visionary idea,” Muhangi told Vision Sports.

“Our first target was to use the UBCL to rebrand the sport and give it a new face to the fans. We also wanted to make our boxers more competitive. Then, of course, the business perspective of getting sponsors on board to our products”  

The vocal UBF president says had it not been the league, the federation would have found it hard to tap into the corporate world to entice top political heads, and celebrities like musicians among others.

Muhangi also insists UBCL remains the solitary route for top-ranked boxers in every weight to the national boxing team (The Bombers).

Since its debut season, the UBCL has groomed budding boxers before turning them into poster boys with a huge fan base.

These include the 2024 Africa Games bronze medalist in light middleweight Muzamir ‘Mr Take Over’ Ssemuddu who is now signed under USA-based promotion company, Urban Boxing.

Others include welterweight Ukasha Matovu, a bronze medallist both at the 2023 Africa Boxing Championship and at the 2024 Mandela Cup, light middleweight Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr., now a professional boxer, light middleweight Owen Kibira, flyweight Shafic Mawanda, lightweight Ibrahim Kemis, featherweight Kasim Murungi also a 2024 Africa Games bronze medallist, among others.

There has been nurturing of female boxers like 2023 Africa Boxing silver medalist Erina Namutebi, 2023 Africa Boxing Championship bronze medallist flyweight Grace Nankinga, featherweight Sharua Ndagire who won bronze at this year’s Mandela Boxing Cup, bantamweight Nadia Najjemba and lightweight Zahara Nandawula.

Season 3 of the UBCL kicks off this Saturday with twenty bouts lined up on the day.

The main card will be headlined by a light middleweight fight between COBAP Boxing Club’s Broline ‘Stylist’ Kimbugwe against KCCA Boxing Club’s Nerrick Tumusiime.