Umar Semata is ready to reclaim the World Kick Boxing Federation (WKF) Intercontinental Welterweight title which he lost to Australian fighter Piotr Lagodzki after blacking out on Sunday at Lugogo.
Ugandas Umar Semata (L) addresses the press flanked by his trainer Adam Boumadi at Mt. Zion Hotel. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
Semata said he felt bad losing the title at home in bizarre circumstances and vowed to win it back come January, because his job was to fight for both his family and country
Pemba Sports Africa has put aside $30000 for the re-match which might be staged in Uganda and is soon signing a contract with the champion to make it happen.
“First of all I thank Lash Media and Pemba; I went to the fight fit and won the first four rounds and after the fourth round I went back to my corner, but there after I don’t know what happened; it is like I had something covering my face, I was ready to finish the job and feeling great but I just couldn’t understand what was going on in my mind because I couldn’t move; even my coach was surprised because he asked me whether I could fight on, but I was confused. I saw them giving away my belt and I was like: what is going on I couldn’t focus and that was unbelievable and that is how it happened,” Semata stated.
He dismissed talk of having been elbowed during the earlier rounds saying: “If I had been elbowed then I could have gone down there and then. I went to hospital for check-up yesterday and the doctor said I should have gone their immediately after the fight, but I didn’t have any problem during and after the fight, I’m feeling fine all over my body and I’m going to reclaim that title again,” Semata said.
Uganda Kick Boxing Federation president Hassan Ssekirime said all the pre-match medical checks were done and everyone was declared fit.
“All the fighters including the under-card fights all went for medical check-ups at Lisa Medical Center and they were all declared fit but we all don’t know what happened to Semata and we were all unhappy that we could lose the title in such a manner,” Sekirime said.
Meanwhile Hotel Africana Marketing Manager James Kasabuvu has clarified that the hotel management did not switch off the lights at midnight in the earlier aborted fight on Friday, but said it was the promoters’ service providers’ generator that ran out of fuel and had a faulty battery.
Promoter Alice Namatovu also defended KCCA saying they were not responsible for the black-out and didn’t have any problem with the fight, but blamed the hotel staff for locking out some fighters and their vehicle out before the fight and making them pay for ‘stolen and broken chairs’.
“We put up a world class event despite the few hiccups we had and we promise to do better next time, we apologise for whatever went wrong,” Namatovu said.
By Michael Nsubuga, The New Vision