Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian professional boxer Ibrahim Mafia has officially been stripped of the World Boxing Council (WBC) Africa bantamweight title following his recent defeat to Filipino fighter Alvin Camique in a non-title bout held in Dar es Salaam.
The decision was confirmed by Houcine Houichi, who stated that the WBC had repeatedly advised Mafia’s management against proceeding with the fight without following the required procedures and regulations governing WBC champions.
According to Houichi, the boxer’s camp ignored the guidance issued by the continental boxing body, leaving the WBC with no option but to vacate the title.
“Part of our role at WBC is not only endorsing and supervising fights, but also advising boxers and their teams,” said Houichi during a telephone interview.
“Unfortunately, our advice was not considered by Ibrahim Mafia’s management and they made their own decision. There is no other way rather than to declare the title vacant, and now there is room for other boxers to fight for it,” he added.
The decision brings an end to Mafia’s reign as WBC Africa bantamweight champion, a title he won in October 2024 after stopping Ghanaian boxer Enoch Tettey Tetteh in the ninth round.
The Tanzanian boxer later defended the belt successfully during the popular “Knockout ya Mama V” boxing event held at Viwanja vya Posta in Dar es Salaam on July 26, 2025. In that fight, Mafia produced an impressive performance to knock out Nigerian boxer Aliu Bamidele in the 10th round.
However, controversy started to grow after Mafia reportedly accepted several non-title bouts in the bantamweight division without obtaining written permission from the WBC.
Houichi explained that the punishment was based on Section 3:13 of the WBC rules and regulations concerning championship obligations.
Under the rules, a reigning WBC champion must defend the WBC title whenever competing in the same weight category and cannot participate in title or non-title fights in the same or another division without written approval from the organisation.
The regulations further require such contests to be recognised as official “WBC Special Events” and sanctioned under WBC rules, including payment of registration and sanctioning fees.
Failure to meet those requirements can result in disciplinary action, including being stripped of the title.
Reports indicate Mafia fought in as many as five non-title bantamweight bouts without WBC approval before suffering defeat to Camique in Dar es Salaam.
The latest development now leaves the WBC Africa bantamweight title vacant, opening the door for new contenders from across the continent to compete for the prestigious belt.
Despite losing the title, Mafia remains one of Tanzania’s most recognised professional boxers and is still expected to feature prominently in the growing “Knockout ya Mama” boxing series, which continues to attract strong local support among fight fans.
