Deaf boxer knocks out Nigerian to win UBO title

Emmanuel Mankatah Sackey, Ghana's famous deaf and dumb boxer, last Friday night made history after dominating and stopping Nigeria's Yusuf Muhammad Olelakan in five rounds to become the new Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) Continental Africa super featherweight champion.

Fighting in the co-main event of the latest Cabic Big Fight Night presented by Cabic Promotions at the Idrowhyt Event Centre at Dansoman, Accra, Sackey took the fight to the Nigerian right from the sound of the opening bell, landing multiple body shots, hooks and uppercuts that had the opponent desperately scrambling for space in the ring.

Sackey, headline boxer of Cabic Promotions, was determined to appease his manager and CEO of Cabic Promotions, Ivan Bruce-Cudjoe, who was watching with other board members at ringside.

The 26-year-old relentlessly chased the Nigerian all over the ring, often cornering him to inflict more damage until a powerful right hook from the Ghanaian sent Olalekan thundering to the canvas in a daze. 

He was counted out to hand victory to Sackey, who was joined in the ring for the celebration of the incredible milestone and coronation by his emotional mother and siblings.

"We are excited by Mankatah's victory, he is a very determined, focused and hardworking boxer. He deserves this title, we will give him all the needed support to go for bigger titles," Mr Bruce-Cudjoe said.

Meanwhile, Kofi Dana, also of the Cabic Promotions stable, stopped another Nigerian, Sulaimon Olagbade, whose output in the ring failed to match the tough verbal jabs he unleashed at the pre-fight weigh-in. 

Dana dominated Olagbade and eventually won by a technical knockout in the fifth round to take the UBO Africa super welterweight title to complete Ghana's clean sweep of Nigeria.

The night also saw the return of experienced campaigner, Fredrick "General Okunka" Lawson, with a round five knockout of Justice Addy in a super welterweight fight. It was just the second fight in Ghana since 2014 for the former Black Bombers captain, who exhibited good movement, jabs, hooks as he pounded a relentless opponent all night long until a powerful right hand from Lawson sent Addy to sleep.