Henry Kasujja headlines blood warriors championship

Kasim Ouma’s son, Henry Kasujja ‘Stopper,’ headlines the BRAFAI Rising Star Championship, an event where Ugandans will battle combat fighters from Africa and Asia.

Dubbed the Blood Warriors Championship, the BRAFAI event is set for this Saturday, November 23, at the new Club Obligato in Kampala and aims to raise awareness about sickle cell disease in Africa.

The event will feature Uganda’s Flyweight, Farouk Ogwal, battling India’s Nazareth Lalthazuala on the main card in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Kasujja, an adopted son of Uganda’s legendary former world boxing champion Ouma, will take on Tanzania’s Issa Maneva in a co-main event ten-round welterweight contest, seeking nothing but a decisive win.

“This is likely to be my last fight in 2024, and I can’t wait to sign out in style. I have had enough preparation and I’m ready to go,” Kasujja, who trains at Masco Lion Heart Gym owned by Uganda kickboxing champion Alex Mastiko in Mulago, told Vision Sport.

“My message to this Tanzanian is that he is coming into a lion’s den. I’m going to swallow him alive. I don’t want to remind him that I’m Mr. Bad News and a nightmare to Tanzanians.”

Kasujja enters this fight after knocking out fellow Ugandan Amos Kelly in the third round in August this year. His knockout over Kelly improved his ring record to 9-1-0, with his only loss being a controversial split decision to Shadir Musa Bwogi on his pro debut.

In Maneva, Kasujja faces an experienced opponent with a 10-4-1 ring record.

Among the other undercard thrillers, Uganda’s featherweight boxing sensation Joshua Tusingwirwe will take on Tanzania’s Ramdhani Twamadhani, while Samson Sserunjogi faces Ali Osummer.

In MMA, bantamweight Joseph Bonane will tussle with Kenya’s Bernard Achoki, and welterweight Hussein Gita will face DRC’s Ibrahim Mwamba Muleba.

Alex Mastiko, a former World Kickboxing Federation (WKF) middleweight champion and the event organizer, anticipates an action-packed show that will thrill the fans.

BRAFAI Rising Stars

Boxing

H. Kasujja (UGA) v I. Maneva (TZ).

J. Tusingwire (UGA) v R. Twamadhani (TZ)

MMA

F. Ogwal (UGA) v N. Lalthazuala (IND)

J. Bonane (UGA) v B. Achoki (KEN)

H. Gita (UGA) v I. Mwamba (DRC)