Ugandan Boxer Aziz Abdul Disqualified Again After Knocking Out Opponent

Aziz Abdul, a 25-year-old heavyweight boxer from Uganda and the grandson of former dictator Idi Amin Dada, was disqualified for the second time this year from a major international boxing competition due to illegal moves. During the final of the African Championship in Nairobi on Friday, October 23, Abdul knocked out Egyptian boxer Mohamed Hossen after the final bell rang and as his opponent had already turned away to walk toward his corner.

Tournament organizers immediately disqualified Abdul and stripped him of the silver medal he had already secured by reaching the final. Hossen had lowered his guard and turned his back following the bell, assuming the bout was over, before Abdul struck him and sent him to the canvas. Following the incident, organizers faced no ambiguity regarding the sanction.

Abdul had advanced to the final by defeating Nigerian Kenneth Anigbor in the quarterfinal and Mbangiji Mukewa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the semifinal. Instead of competing for the gold medal and taking his place on the podium, he finished the tournament without a medal and absorbed his second international disqualification in just a few months.

His first major disqualification occurred earlier this year at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. During his opening-round match against English boxer Damar Thomas, Abdul received a second warning in the third round for headbutting, prompting the referee to disqualify him from the match.

Before that tournament, Abdul drew attention by stating that winning a gold medal would make him the "new king of Scotland." The phrasing carried a direct family connection, as his grandfather Idi Amin famously used the title "King of Scotland" among a series of grandiose names during his rule over Uganda.

Idi Amin seized power in a military coup in 1971 and ruled Uganda until 1979. His regime was characterized by political persecution, ethnic violence, severe human rights violations, and devastating economic consequences. Human rights organizations estimated that the death toll during his eight-year rule ranged from approximately 100,000 to 500,000 victims.

The family also shares a direct connection to the sport of boxing. Before his political career, Idi Amin was a boxer and held the Uganda light heavyweight title for nine years during the 1950s.

Abdul, who also performs under the nickname "Ringo," never met his grandfather because Amin passed away when Abdul was still a child. Nonetheless, the family surname continues to follow him at nearly every major international appearance, and Abdul brought renewed attention to it this year with two high-profile infractions inside the ring.