UBO Challenger: Mamadou Thiam                       

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January 8, 2021 / BY UBO PRESS OFFICER

As a professional boxer he developed a reputation as a massive puncher with a relentless fighting-style, and won 27 of his first 28 bouts on the way to capturing the European title in 1998, stopping Said Bennajem (17-2) in two rounds.

He defended the European title three times before securing a shot at the legendary Felix Trinidad (37-0) for the WBA World title in July of 2000 in Miami.

Trinidad was too much for the Frenchman, but Thiam went out on his shield in the third round, and in his very next fight he regained the European crown when he stopped Paolo Pizzamiglio (26-3) in eight.

Five more wins landed him a crack at the Interim WBA World title against Santiago Samaniego (35-6-1) in August 2002, but he also had to concede defeat this time, as he was stopped in the final round.

Thiam continued to fight at a decent level but not very often. He failed in becoming a three-time European Champion when he lost to Serhiy Dzinziruk (27-0) in 2004, but in April of 2008 he was back in a significant fight.

Taking on Denmark-based Kenyan former two-time IBA world champion Evans Ashira (28-3), in Denmark, with the vacant Universal Boxing Organization™ (UBO) Inter-Continental Super Welterweight title up for grabs, it was a huge opportunity for both African-born European-based warriors.

It was an action-packed fight, but Ashira was the fresher and emerged UBO Champion by sixth round knockout.

Thiam still had something left, though, as he not long after put together a four-fight winning-streak and picked up the GBC Middleweight title after knocking out undefeated German Florian Wildenhof (6-0).

However, he lost three of his last six fights, to excellent opponents Andy Lee (20-1), Damian Jonak (29-0-1) and Milorad Zizic (6-0), and retired in late 2012 with a 49-11 (46) record.