Nontshinga fired up for Suganob clash as IBF world title shot beckons

Nontshinga will be fighting Filipino boxer Regie Suganob, a boxer he made his first IBF junior-flyweight world title defense against in 2023. 

The winner of this title eliminator will meet the reigning IBF junior flyweight world champion Thanongsak Simsri of Thailand. 

Speaking to SABC Sport at the Hotbox Gym this week, Nontshinga is relishing this opportunity.

"I'm mentally fit, spiritually and even physically. You've seen my workout here, I've been putting in a whole lot of work and I'm ready to rumble. I'm ready to go back again and take over my throne and become a three time world  champion,” Nontshinga said. 

“I'm ready it's been a long time coming, I've been in camp since hearing the news about the fight on the 21st of May and I've been in the camp since then. I'm more than ready."

Nontshinga held the IBF world title twice between 2022 and 2024.

He defeated Suganob by points in KuGompo City three years ago, and says now he’s a different boxer than he was then.

"I'm so grateful for the Sive that I was for the past few years because without that Sive I wouldn't be here today and now I've changed a lot. I'm old now, I've got different reasons why I'm doing this thing and I've learnt a lot of things in the game,” the boxer added. 

“At the same time, things that I won't say hear but when I come back from the fight, things that I'd love to share with every person that supports me so that they know whether you are home and want to be the special one, don't make the same mistakes or follow the same foot steps. 

“Even if they are not gonna take you straight to the route that you're tryna take, they will give you speed bumps and potholes and everything else. So, the special one that I am now is more about legacy more than anything else, not titles. 

“Titles were about becoming a belt and having a title on top of his head, like a Unified Champion or a two time World Champion, no this one is more focused on legacy."