By Mark Wilson Smith
It’s only February and yet Malta is already gearing up for its third combat sports event of the year – and in March, three more are scheduled. Further evidence that the popularity of boxing and kickboxing is definitely on the rise in this country.
On Friday night, at the Intercontinental Hotel in St Julians, fans will have the chance to see Malik Zinad, one of Malta’s most talented boxers, back in action. It will be his first fight on these shores since 2020 – and not only is he fighting on the card, but he is also the promoter too.
Although born in Libya, Zinad has lived in Malta for almost 12 years now and has built up quite a large following on this island. For casual sports fans, they may recognize his name from his globally televised bout against Dmitrii Bivol in Saudi Arabia last year.
Despite Bivol being widely regarded as one of the very best boxers in the world at the moment, Zinad was able to reach the sixth round before the referee stepped in to end the fight when Malik was taking some heavy blows.
That bout certainly introduced him to a much wider audience, but for dedicated boxing fans, they will already be familiar with his impressive knockout rate and victory in the WBC Mediterranean title fight four years ago.
‘‘I am excited to announce that I have a fight scheduled for Friday, the 28th. This fight is dedicated to my fans in Malta, as I haven’t fought here in a long time. I am determined to win against my undefeated opponent, who has a record of 15-0,” Malik said.
‘‘It will be a great match, similar to fighting in my hometown. I am proud to be part of Power Punch Promotions, which supports local fighters from a young age. We ensure they are well taken care of and offer financial support.
‘‘If all goes well, this fight will lead to a bigger announcement for a title belt match. I am working hard every day to reach the top and become a World champion. I believe I will achieve my goals with hard work, discipline, and the unwavering support of my fans, especially those in Malta.
‘‘Thank you to everyone, and special thanks to my Maltese fans for always supporting me.’’
His upcoming opponent for tonight’s bout is Bosnian Haris Dzindo, a boxer with a perfect record of 15 fights and 15 wins. Now based in Denmark, Dzindo should present a good workout for Zinad, but ultimately may not cause too many problems. Expect an entertaining fight with Zinad the likely winner.
Elsewhere on the card, Malik’s younger brother Moez (6-0) is also in action against Scotland’s Kevin Traynor. It marks a quick return for Moez, as he fought just three weeks ago on the popular Rage Kombat event. He won that bout on points but will surely be looking to add to Traynor’s seven knockout losses tonight.
Popular Maltese boxer, ‘Prince’ Bray Pace, who also fought just three weeks ago, takes on Britain’s John Reilly in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds. Reilly may be familiar to Maltese fans as he made his pro debut in this country last November. Pace aims to be very busy throughout 2025, so keep an eye out for him appearing on multiple shows this year as he targets titles in the near future.
Pace said: ‘‘Training camp went very well, and it’s great to be back in action again so quickly. I feel sharp, focused, and ready for this fight. A huge part of that is thanks to my coach Alex Denisov and Scott Dixon who led my camp and made sure I was in peak condition.
‘‘I’m confident ahead of this bout and excited to put on a great performance.’’ He concluded.
Another popular Maltese fighter, Jean Claude Mifsud, makes his professional debut on the night. His previous bout was a first round knockout of Fiodor Cachia earlier this year.
‘‘I’m feeling good. I’ve been training two or three times a day for a long time now. I can’t lose; I need to win this for sure,” Mifsud said.
‘‘My target is that maybe one day I will be Maltese champion and represent Malta on the biggest of stages abroad.’’
There will be 10 boxing bouts in total, making for an action-packed night for fight fans.
