Muthama floors national champion Shaffi in boxing league action in Nakuru

Team Kenya boxer Shaffie Bakari in action at National Exhibition Centre in West Midlands Birmingham in United Kingdom before the 2022 Commonwealth Games, on July 26, 2022. [File, Standard]

Kenya Defence Forces bantamweight boxer Dennis Muthama has done it again in the third leg of the National Boxing League in Nakuru.

Muthama defeated the same boxer whom he dismissed in Mombasa in July during the second leg of the league championships.

He defeated reigning national champion Shaffi Bakari of Kenya Police through a split points' decision at Madison Square Garden on Thursday afternoon.

Shaffie fell short of saying he was robbed of his victory in Mombasa.

"I had beaten him (Muthama) in the three rounds of the bout but found myself on the losing end, which I could not believe since I had given it my all," Shaffi had told Standard Sports after the Mombasa loss. 

On Thursday afternoon the two boxers exchanged fierce jabs in all the three rounds but Muthama came out victorious to prove his victory in Mombasa was not a fluke. 

"The match was tough but I tried my best in all the three rounds again this time to beat him (Shaffi). He's a refined boxer," Muthama said.

With the victory, Muthama cruised to the semi-finals set for Friday at the same venue where he's likely to meet either Felix Kuria of Nakuru ABC or Emmanuel Odhiambo of Githurai 44.

In their quarterfinal matches, Kuria dismissed Brian Changawa of Havanna, Mombasa when the referee stopped the contest in the first round.

On his part, Odhiambo beat Chris Musyoki of Kenya Prisons on a split points' decision.

After missing the first leg of the league championships in Busia, Kenya Prisons had eight boxers in Nakuru and vowed to feature in the remaining two legs of the league championships in Nanyuki and Kisumu.

"Today (Thursday), we had eight boxers here (Nakuru) after missing the first leg in Busia but featured in Mombasa and we'll make it to Nanyuki and Kisumu," said Edward Mwaura, the Secretary General of Kenya Prisons Boxing Club. 

In other matches, Washington Wandera of KDF also cruised to the semi-finals after seeing off Robert Gachuhi in the first round in the lightweight.

A total of 88 boxers (78 men and 10 women) are in Nakuru for the league championships.

Boxers are to undergo weighing in and medical check ups on Friday morning ahead of the semi-final matches.