Jonas vs Price: Olympic history-maker Cindy Ngamba to turn professional in boxing
2025-01-21
Category: sports

Cindy Ngamba will make her professional debut on the undercard of Natasha Jonas' unification fight against Lauren Price on 7 March in London.The 26-year-old made history at last year's Paris Olympics as the first member of the Refugee Olympic Team to win a medal.Ngamba won bronze and the Cameroon fighter has now set her sights on becoming world champion in the paid ranks."I have shared the ring with the best of the best in the Olympics and as an amateur. I want to share the ring with the best as a professional and push myself as far as I can go," Ngamba said. "I'm looking forward to showcasing my skills as a professional for the first time. "It is time for me to show what I am capable of and to continue to represent myself, Great Britain and all the refugees around the world."Ngamba has signed a "multi-fight" promotional deal with Boxxer and promoter Ben Shalom described her as an "incredible athlete".She will make her bow on all-female card headlined by welterweight champions and domestic rivals Price and Jonas.WBC lightweight world champion Caroline Dubois will also feature on the undercard, as will Karriss Artingstall and Raven Chapman who face off in a featherweight contest.Super-middleweight champion Savannah Marshall is also expected to be added to the undercard.
Who is Cindy Ngamba?
Ngamba is unable to return to Cameroon because of her sexuality - with homosexuality in the country punishable with up to five years in prison.However, after 15 years in England, she is still fighting to be granted a visa and UK citizenship.Five years ago she was on the verge of being deported after attending what she thought was a routine signing-on process to let authorities know she was still in the country.Ngamba was arrested, along with her brother Kennet, and sent from Manchester to a detention camp in London, before being released the following day.Before Paris 2024, GB Boxing unsuccessfully tried to add Ngamba to its ranks for the Olympic programme, even writing a request to the Home Office to grant her British citizenship.But she then won a scholarship with the IOC refugee team, and was the first female boxer to represent the team at a Games.Ngamba made her amateur debut aged 20 in 2018 and would go on accumulate 26 wins and just five losses.She won the English national championships three times in that period.
Jonas v Price undercard
Caroline Dubois v TBC - WBC lightweight world titleCindy Ngamba v TBC - pro debutKarriss Artingstall v Raven Chapman - featherweight