Ugandan heavyweight Kyakonye floors Bosnia's Dautovic in three rounds

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Uganda’s Netherlands-based heavyweight boxer Willy 'The Ring Tiger' Kyakonye delivered another dominant performance after knocking out Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Semir Dautovic, earning a $40,000 (approx. sh150 million) purse and improving his position in the world heavyweight rankings.

The two fighters squared off at the iconic Sport Centrum Arena in Rijswijk, Netherlands, where the Ugandan hard puncher proved too powerful for his opponent.

Kyakonye wasted no time asserting his dominance, sending Dautovic to the canvas twice in the opening two rounds before leaving the Bosnian wobbling on the ropes in the third round.

Their blockbuster ten-round contest lasted only three rounds, leaving the bout referee Eric van den Heuvel of the Netherlands with no option but to stop the fight.

Kyakonye's emphatic third-round stoppage of Dautovic marked his 12th career knockout and extended his unbeaten professional record to 13-0-0.

The former Uganda national boxing team member, nicknamed the Bomber's Assassin, remains unbeaten in the professional ranks since making his debut in 2017.



His latest victory also propelled Kyakonye up the global ladder, improving his world ranking from 57th to 39th in the heavyweight division. The achievement marks a significant milestone that opens the door to major fights against top contenders in the division.

“I’m more than happy for this deserved victory. This win is not only for my family and me but also for the entire home country, the Dutch citizens, my fans and my management team, BAV Frisia,” Kyakonye told New Vision Sport.

“I declared 2026 as my year. After this fight, I will soon return to the ring, probably in April or May, to challenge for the WBC silver world heavyweight title. See you soon,” he added.

Sh150m richer

Kyakonye not only made light work of Dautovic and climbed the world boxing rankings, but the blockbuster bout also earned him a lucrative purse of approximately sh150 million.

Despite his growing financial muscle, the Ugandan heavyweight said his main focus remains winning a major world title.

“Through my manager, Aart Boendermaker, I have received offers for big-money fights, but you have to be calculative. You may end up losing everything if you prioritise money over your career and ambitions,” Kyakonye explained.

Kyakonye joins a growing list of Ugandan boxers earning notable purses on the international stage, including Sulaiman ‘The Ruler’ Segawa, Muzamir ‘The Rio King Kong’ Kakande and David ‘De Animal’ Ssemujju, whose recent title successes have boosted their earnings.

Segawa captured the WBC Silver Featherweight title in 2024, Kakande clinched the Commonwealth silver welterweight title in 2025, while Ssemujju’s successful defence of the WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight title significantly increased his profile and purse value.