Pro boxing: Japhet Mwanjwango Paul wins French super bantam title

Japhet Mwanjwango Paul is the new French super bantamweight champion. The Marseille boxer beat Djamal Hadjab, from northern France, on a split decision on Saturday 7 November at the Salle Vallier in Marseille. Two judges scored it for him (97-93 and 98-92), the third had Hadjab ahead (94-96). It was the main event of the show.

Close to the end

According to the French Boxing Federation's report, Mwanjwango Paul set a high pace and made the difference with his left hand and uppercuts, especially from the eighth round. Hadjab, the taller man, worked at range with his jab and right hand. He took advantage of a slight dip from his opponent in the fifth and finished stronger in the last, but not enough to turn the scorecards.

Three other professional bouts completed the Marseille card. Adam El Ghayat stopped Slovakia's Rudolf Andrej in the first round at super lightweight, and Mohamed Ounai won his professional debut on points against Ukraine's Yaroslav Kuzoma (40-36 on all three cards).

Valverde back on track in Charleville-Mézières

The same night in Charleville-Mézières, Yoni Valverde won the vacant IBF International super featherweight belt. He outpointed a Mexican opponent 99-90 on all three cards. It was his first fight since his defeat on 19 October 2025 in Riyadh, in the WBC Grand Prix, where Albania's Muhamet Qamili stopped him in the first round. His record moves to 18 wins and 1 defeat.

His manager, Hamid Zaïm, points to a boxing style built on movement, with counter uppercuts to push opponents back. The next target is Germany's Hamsat Shadalov, holder of the IBF Intercontinental belt. Talks have started, with no date set.

The rest of the weekend

In Charleville-Mézières, Marceau Pourrier (super welterweight) and Justine Lallemand (super flyweight) won on points, and Elyasse Azap won his professional debut by second-round stoppage. Steven Lecefel was stopped in the first round by Georgia's Giorgi Khubejashvili at heavyweight.

In Balaruc-les-Bains, Robert Perez and debutant Esteban Ait Rais finished their fights in the first round, while Anna Boullez and Elian Damiens-Dhebecourt won on points. In Auray, Victor Cougoulic and Dylan Laporte won on points. Loris Barberio won by third-round stoppage in Buhl, and Enzo Bourgoien-Six by first-round knockout in Sérignan. That same Saturday, Tony Yoka beat Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko on points in Manchester.