Libyan champion Saad Al-Falah secured the World Boxing Association (WBA) African light-heavyweight title by defeating his Ivorian contender Adam Koné, who withdrew.
The exciting boxing match was held on Friday evening at the Suleiman Al-Darrat Hall in Benghazi. The match was attended by boxing legend Mike Tyson, who praised the strength and outstanding performance of the Libyan boxer. Also present was the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who congratulated Al-Falah on his championship victory.
From the onset, Saad Al-Falah demonstrated complete dominance over his Ivorian opponent, raining down a barrage of punches that forced Koné to fall twice in the early rounds. Despite Koné’s resilience, he announced his withdrawal in the fourth round due to his inability to continue the fight until the end.
The event marked the third installment of the “Night of Legends” series, showcasing exceptional talent and fierce competition in the boxing arena.
Notably, the late American legend Muhammad Ali visited Libya in 1974, participating in exhibition matches with Libyan boxing stars in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Boxing was banned in the late 1970s during the era of the late leader Moammar Gaddafi, who considered it a “brutal” sport. Competitive boxing remained dormant in Libya for over three decades until its reintroduction to the International Boxing Federation in 2016.
