The Boxing Truth®: Uisma Lima

It goes almost without saying nowadays that unless a fighter is a natural Heavyweight, most fighters that make it to the world championship level and achieve that goal, tend to set their sights on multiple weight classes in search of more world championship gold as well as and perhaps more specifically, bigger paydays. In the case of Jaron Ennis, an undefeated World Welterweight champion, who seemed poised to take over the 147lb. Welterweight division in the era immediately following the exit of Terence Crawford, the division’s last undisputed world champion, he has made the decision to move up in weight rather than trying to complete the unification process at Welterweight after successfully unifying the IBF and WBA world titles with a sixth round stoppage of previously unbeaten WBA world champion Eimantas Stanionis in April of this year. Despite the potential to add his name next to Crawford and other notable legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Donald Curry as fighters who went on to claim status as an undisputed world champion during their time atop the Welterweight division, Ennis has instead opted to move up in weight to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division where he will face current International Boxing Organization (IBO) Jr. Middleweight world champion Uisma Lima on Saturday, October 11th in Ennis' hometown of Philadelphia, PA at the Wells Fargo Center in a scheduled twelve round bout that can be seen worldwide on digital sports subscription streaming network DAZN. Lima, who holds the distinction as the first fighter from Angola to ever hold a world championship, will enter this fight with a record of 14-1, with 10 Knockouts.

Despite holding a world championship that he won in December of last year and has successfully defended it once since then, Lima is largely unknown and basically comes into this encounter with Ennis as a world champion that is under the radar. Lima has scored knockouts of over 70% of his opposition, so the question that looms over this fight will be how Lima, a boxer/puncher will perform against the significantly more experienced and higher profile Ennis, who will come into this bout unbeaten with a record of 34-0, with 30 Knockouts having knocked out 88% of his previous opponents entering this fight.

What is also unknown as this fight approaches is whether the IBO world championship in the Jr. Middleweight division, which Lima currently holds, will be on the line or if this will be a non-title bout scheduled for the world championship distance of twelve rounds. The IBO, which was founded in the late 1980’s and incorporated in the early 1990’s, and is based here in the United States, has struggled for consistent recognition, particularly in this country as a world sanctioning organization, the fifth major world sanctioning organization in the sport. It is an organization, however, that in addition to having many notable fighters and Hall of Famers, male and female hold its world championship in various weight divisions throughout the entire sport, is held in higher regard internationally, which in addition to its computerized-based approach to rankings, can on occasion create a scenario like this where a world champion, who is well-traveled as Lima has been in competing in multiple countries throughout his career, but a fighter who will be competing in the United States for the first time, is regarded as an unknown entity. This observer has been unable to confirm as is this writing as to whether or not the world title Lima holds will indeed be on the line in this bout.

While some who particularly take a more cynical view of sanctioning organizations and choose not to view them as the legitimate entities that they for better or worse are, no matter what happens in this fight, it will have no impact on the IBO’s standing. If, Lima can produce a solid performance, however, it will provide further evidence that just because a fighter may not be what is sometimes referred to as a “Household Name" does not mean they should be taken lightly both by their opponent who might be more well known and by fans, even though in an era increasingly dominated by worldwide streaming, it is becoming harder for fighters to be completely under the radar.

As for what type of fight one can expect when Ennis and Lima square off? Like Jaron Ennis, Uisma Lima is a come forward pressure fighter. What will make this potentially interesting is Lima is a southpaw that is tall, rangy, knows how to control distance well, and often comes forward throwing punches with both hands. The question here might be whether Lima’s physical advantages and offensive approach will be enough against a fighter in Ennis that while he might be moving up in weight, has shown the ability to end a fight with either hand in often brutal fashion. If the power he displayed as a Welterweight is able to carry with him as he moves up in weight, Ennis will be no less dangerous and any opponent will have to approach with caution. We will see what Uisma Lima can do on Saturday, October 11th.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

Update: Shortly after completion of this column, it was able to be confirmed that the IBO Jr. Middleweight world championship currently held by Uisma Lima will not be at stake, but the bout is being billed as a final elimination bout in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Jr. Middleweight ratings where the winner will be given Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA rankings. As of this writing, win or lose Lima will still be IBO world champion.

Ennis vs. Lima takes place on Saturday, October 11th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 5:15 PM ET/2:15 PM with Before The Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts followed by the main card that will begin at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

(*North American Times Only.*)

(*Card and Start Times Subject to Change*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, Availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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