Robert Okaka punches Elite World boxing quarter’s ticket, to face Russian opponent

Kenya’s national light heavyweight champion, Robert Okaka, is making waves on the international stage after storming into the quarter-finals of the Elite World Men’s Boxing Championships in Dubai. He is now set for a tough showdown against Russia’s Bizhamov Dzahambulat.

Confident and composed, Okaka says his mindset remains unchanged. “The next match will not be any different. My focus and hard work will guide me,” he affirmed.

Okaka booked his place in the last eight with a commanding victory over Tunisia’s Youssef Rafrafi, stopping the bout in the third round via the referee stop-the-contest (RSC) rule. The win guarantees him at least Sh1.2 million, with a semi-final berth—and a bigger prize—still within reach.

From the opening bell, Okaka controlled the fight with precision, power, and relentless pressure. He unleashed a barrage of sharp jabs that forced three standing mandatory counts across different rounds and even floored Rafrafi in the second round. The referee stepped in to halt the contest, preventing further punishment. All five judges agreed with the decision, sealing Okaka’s emphatic triumph.

Earlier, on his path to the quarter-finals, Okaka outclassed Estonia’s Anton Vinogradov, winning on points. Assistant coach David Munuhe praised the boxer’s performance, saying the technical bench was “over the moon” with his display.

By reaching the last eight, Okaka is assured of $10,000 (Sh1, 291,500). The stakes are even higher moving forward, with gold medallists set to pocket $300,000 (Sh38, 745,000)—a testament to the prestige and financial rewards of the global event.

Elsewhere, in other bouts, Boniface Mogunde suffered a controversial 1–4 loss to the world’s seventh seed Aliyev Sarkhan of Azerbaijan in the men’s light middleweight round of 32. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Paul Omondi was defeated 0–5 by Mozambique’s experienced Sigauque Armando Rugoberto in the men’s featherweight round of 16.