Moses Golola is by far the most revered kick-boxer most Ugandans easily identify him with the sport.
But he has a serious challenger that could forever put to rest the debate of whether Golola is the best fighter in Uganda.
On Saturday, Golola showed class as he outfoxed a burly Abu Kikenwa in a non-title fight at Freedom City and since every aspiring fighter wants to make a statement by defeating the best, the motor-mouthed Golola has his match.
He faces a youthful Umar Ssemata, who is oozing with confidence and promise that he deserves to be the best.
Golola easily dealt with Ronald Mugula, who many thought was the heir apparent. In 2017, a match which was billed as the ‘fight of the century’ between Golola and Ssemata didn’t see the light of day.
But fighter-turned promoter Malik Kaliisa has secured the fight which he confirmed on October 13 at a yet-to-be named venue.
This fight will bring together the best Uganda has to offer. According to coach Latif Walugembe, who has handled Ssemata for over 10 years, Golola is set for a nightmare.
“Ssemata is deadly and no one wants to challenge him at all. Golola’s reign will surely come to an end,” Walugembe said.
The stats don’t support him though. Ssemata has a total of 77 career fights with 44 wins, 30 losses and 3 draws. Yet Golola has 36 wins in 41 fights.
“I have lost to better opponents Golola will only dare to meet in his dreams,” Ssemata said as the fight was announced at Mt Zion Hotel this afternoon.
Another big difference is the weight. Ssemata weights just 69kgs while Golola is over 85kgs.
“He’s a challenger and this is going to be a challenger fight. It’s up to him to feed and get the necessary weight,” Golola said.
But those who know Ssemata argue that he can match Golola no matter the weight.
“He’s so powerful that even in the gym he has no sparring partner as many fear for their lives,” Walugembe said.
“My only worry is that Golola has been the reason kickboxing exists in Uganda and if he loses, the game may be affected,” he added.
Regardless, this is going to be a match worth a wait.
