Thulani “Tulz” Mbenge, one of South Africa’s brightest boxers, is sweating it out in camp as he prepares for an important fight. Mbenge will face Souleymane Cissokho in a vacant WBC Welterweight title fight on December 17 at H Arena in France.
After spending a long time travelling the African continent, this boxer from East London is looking for greener pastures. Tulz returns to Europe for the first time since losing in a fight in Germany in 2019.
Then there was the Covid-19 pandemic, which halted many activities, particularly in the sports industry. “I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The fight preparations are still going very well,” Mbenge said on SA Boxing Talk.
Tulz enters the upcoming fight with confidence after a recent victory. According to reports, Cissokho is in a weight class above, but he decided to step down in order to compete in a high-quality fight. Mbenge stated that he saw nothing wrong with Cissokho’s decision but warned him that he would face challenges.
“I don’t see anything wrong with him dropping from a higher division to the lowest. But he must be aware that he is entering a very dangerous division, as there are some very good boxers in the category we are in,” said Mbenge who is upbeat about the important fight at the end of the year.
When asked if he is afraid to travel to France in an unfamiliar place, Mbenge replied: “I have no issues with French people. If you want to be respected, you must travel to other countries. I am used to going to other places; remember when we went to the Olympics?
“I don’t care about people because I am going to fight Cissekho. The only thing on my mind right now is fighting Cissekho. Now I am looking for bigger opportunities.
“That’s why I am going to France to look for a boxer like Cissokho. I am attempting to make a name for myself in boxing. My name is well-known, and I have no reservations about meeting anyone else after Cissekho,” said Mbenge.
Tulz and Cissekho will square off in twelve rounds.
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