WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem has arrived in South Africa ahead of his title defense later this month.
Jerusalem landed in Johannesburg on Thursday, April 30, 2026, along with Zip-Sanman Wellness Center head coach Michael Domingo and assistant trainer Dario Luga after a long trip from the Philippines.
The Filipino boxer said arriving early will help him prepare better for the fight.
“It’s good to be here three weeks early so I have time to adjust to the altitude, weather, time, and place,” said Jerusalem. “I’m prepared to do better than in our first fight and will make sure to bring my belt back home to the Philippines.”
Jerusalem will defend his WBC minimumweight title against South Africa’s Siyakholwa Kuse in a rematch on May 16, 2026.
The two fighters first met on Oct. 29, 2025, at the Araneta Coliseum during the “Thrilla in Manila” 50th anniversary boxing card. Jerusalem kept his title after winning by split decision.
Jerusalem was originally set to face Oscar Collazo in a title unification bout in March. Collazo is the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight champion. However, that fight did not happen after Collazo chose another opponent, Jesus Haro.
After the unification match was canceled, Jerusalem agreed to face Kuse again in the challenger’s hometown.
Jerusalem has a professional record of 25 wins, three losses, and one draw, with 12 knockouts. Kuse owns a 9-3-1 record with four knockouts. / EKA
