By Sarngon Mouelle, Guest Writer
United Arab Emirates most populous city, Dubai played host to a cracking night of boxing on Saturday, September 20, 2025 with Cameroon’s Tamba Merlin staging a spectacular performance on the Grassroots Boxing show.
Merlin ended the dreams of his opponent, Tanzania’s Jacob Maganga with an explosive first round knockout (KO) to extend his unbeaten record to six fights – all by KO.
The event, staged by Grassroots Boxing Promotions and streamed live on IFL TV, showcased a blend of rising African stars and established names.
England’s Anees Taj was star of the night as he captured the World Boxing Council (WBC)Middle East Cruiserweight title stopping Egypt’s Wagdy Attia in the fourth round via TKO, while Armenia’s Anahit Aroyan claimed the women’s WBA Bantamweight Continental title by defeating Tanzania’s Stumi Muki Paulo.
But the night belonged to Cameroon’s prodigious cruiserweight Tamba Merlin who flattened his opponent in the first round in an undercard fight of the night. Tamba has never been beyond the second round in his career, and his latest demolition only added fuel to the hype around one of Africa’s brightest prospects.
And as ever, it wasn’t just the fight that got people talking.
Merlin made a statement before a punch was even thrown, arriving to the ring in a prisoner’s outfit with chained wrists, walking out to Rema’s Afrobeats anthem Ozeba.
It was a show-stopping entrance that had the Dubai crowd on their feet and underlined his growing reputation as both a fighter and entertainer.
But the Cameroonian wasn’t done. Moments after his brutal KO, Merlin grabbed the mic and issued a direct challenge to WBC Middle East Champion Anees Taj.
“Do you wanna fight or not?” he asked, a direct invitation for a challenge.
The call-out raised eyebrows – Taj’s camp weren’t exactly thrilled with the timing. But the numbers tell an interesting story: Merlin is currently ranked #81 in the cruiserweight division, while Taj sits down at #185.
On paper, Merlin already holds the edge. The question now is whether the Mboa Sport Association-backed star can pull together the backing – and the money – to make the fight happen.
If he does, Dubai could be in for one of the region’s most intriguing clashes in years.
