Boxing: Sheilla Yama to fight Haini Mulataiaili for IBF international title in May

Hamilton boxer Sheilla Yama, 34, will take on Haini Mulataiaili, 24, of China, in May. Photo / CSN.Watch

Fresh off a knockout win against Nailini Helu last week, Hamilton boxer Sheilla Yama, 34, has confirmed she will fight for a major international title.

BX-9 promoter Oz Jabur announced that Yama will take on Haini Mulataiaili, 24, of China, for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) International Super Lightweight title as the main event at his next BX-9 show in May.

This is a major title that will significantly boost the winner in the rankings.

The fight is set for 10 two-minute rounds.

Yama is not ranked in the IBF rankings yet, but winning this title could put her at least in the top five.

Yama’s opponent Mulataiaili, the WBC Asian Super Lightweight champion, is undefeated and ranked number one in China.

Mulataiaili is currently ranked 13th in both the IBF Lightweight division and the Boxrec Super Lightweight division.

Her current record is six wins, with a 50% knockout rate.

Mulataiaili, at 1.8m (5’11), is slightly taller than Yama, who is 1.73m (5’8), which could give Mulataiaili an advantage.

Mulataiaili is also younger than Yama, but Yama has proven that she has power after becoming the first person ever to TKO Helu.

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There has only been one New Zealand-born boxer to win an IBF International title in any weight division – Australian-based Mariah Turner.

Turner won the IBF International Featherweight title last November against undefeated Australian boxer Stephanie Lee Cutting.

No male boxer from New Zealand has won an IBF International title.

Also on the upcoming BX-9 card will be the quarter-finals of the BX-9 Welterweight Championship Tournament.

The semi-finals are planned to happen in August and the finals in October.

Already confirmed in the tournament is Auckland’s Leon Budgen, who defeated former UFC fighter Shane Young last December.

Another boxer confirmed is Hamilton’s Hamza Perwaisy, who will make his professional boxing debut.

Their opponents are still to be confirmed.

Perwaisy has a big kickboxing and amateur boxing history.

He is a New Zealand national junior amateur champion from 2010 and made his semi-pro debut at BX-9 last year, beating Mikhail Zinoviyev.

There are six more fighters still to be announced in the BX-9 Welterweight Championship Tournament.

The event, including the Yama-Mulataiaili bout, will take place at Auckland’s Eventfinda Stadium on May 2.

The event will be streamed live on PPV with CSN.Watch.

Benjamin Watt is a retired boxing judge and New Zealand boxing writer with a decade of experience. Watt has also been BoxRec’s New Zealand record-keeper since 2014.