Purse bids for the IBF featherweight eliminator to determine the mandatory position between South Africa’s Lerato Dlamini and Ukrainian Arnold Khegai have been won by Premier Boxing Champions.
The fight could happen in July and, as per IBF rules, Dlamini will be entitled to 75 per cent of the $71,000 bid and Khegai 25 cent, as Dlamini is No. 2 and Khegai is No. 3.
The deal opens up a new platform and market for a South African fighter and represents the first time that a South African company has done boxing business with PBC, which has its fight cards shown on Prime.
It is also only the third time a South African fighter will have been featured on a PBC fight card.
Colin Nathan, trainer and manager of Dlamini, informed the IBF that his company, No Doubt Management, and Top Rank Promotions could not agree on terms, and they had needed to proceed with a purse bid.
Top Rank had bid $65,000.
“The fee that they offered Lerato was simply too low,” Nathan said, and he then asked PBC’s promoter Tom Brown to get involved.
“I left it up to Col to sort out,” Dlamini explained. “He said to me, 'Don't worry, son, I'll get you a much better deal.' And he did. Colin informed me every step of the way, sharing all emails and texts. He is one of the most honest managers and trainers in South Africa, and he knows how to move fighters' careers."
Nathan's company is a partner to Larry Wainstein's Boxing 5 promotion company and is responsible for having produced the last five credible world championships for South African boxing, including South Africa's latest and Africa's only legitimate world champion, Sivenathi "The Special One" Nontshinga.