Street-pop singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has explained why he walked out of the ring during his celebrity boxing rematch against Nollywood actor Charles Okocha, insisting he was unfairly attacked during the contest.
Hours after he was disqualified from the bout, the singer, via a video on his Instagram page, alleged that Okocha abandoned boxing for wrestling and even bit him during the fight.
Displaying what he claimed were bite marks and injuries on his back and body, Portable said, “He bit me. I landed a heavy hit on him,” while alleging that several people also attacked him during the melee.
The singer maintained that he was in control of the fight before the situation escalated into a physical struggle.
“Normally, I beat him up. Man to man, one man is tougher than another. I dealt him a huge blow,” he said, insisting he had landed more punches than his opponent.
Explaining why he exited the ring, Portable said he no longer wanted to risk his career over celebrity boxing, arguing that his status outweighed the prize money.
“He bit me, number one. He choked my neck. That’s why I say I don’t fight again. I’m big! I’m bigger than the money! I’m a star!” he declared.
Portable also claimed he fulfilled his promise of landing 10 punches on Okocha before leaving the ring.
“I wore one-round cloth to the bout. I wanted to beat him in one round,” he added.
The highly anticipated rematch, tagged “Unfinished Business,” took place on Friday at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The contest descended into a wrestling-like scuffle before security personnel intervened to restore order.
Portable walked out of the ring before the opening round officially ended. Although he later returned, officials disqualified him, handing victory to Okocha.
The defeat marked Portable’s second consecutive loss in three months, having lost to Carter Efe on May 2nd.
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