Vietnamese boxer's IBA championship fight postponed due to Covid-19

The fight will take place on Sept. 12 instead of July 18 as the initial plan. The venue for the match is still Ho Chi Minh City.

Thao told the press the schedule change would give him more time to prepare for the biggest fight of his career, the International Boxing Association (IBA) Bantamweight World Championship.

In 2017, Thao made headlines after defeating Indonesian George Lumoly to become the first Vietnamese to hold a WBC belt in Asia. Since then, the 29-year-old has been maintaining a consistent form and won many matches against strong opponents.

Earlier this year, Thao was stripped of his WBC belt because he failed to defend it against possible challengers.

Thao later revealed to the press that he wanted to aim for greater titles like the world belt rather than holding onto a continental belt.

His profile so far includes 13 wins and one defeat. He’s 63rd on the world’s bantamweight boxing ranking.

Thao’s opponent in this much-anticipated clash for the IBA belt will be Fadhili Majiha. The Tanzanian boxer boasts 26 wins, 14 defeats and four draws. Throughout his career, Majiha has competed in multiple boxing belt fights and used to hold belts in two different weight classes, including the WBA Pan African Bantamweight championship in 2018. The 27-year-old is currently 94th on the world’s bantamweight boxing ranking.

Since the new wave started on April 27, Vietnam has recorded 20,228 Covid-19 cases, with HCMC the worst hit locality.