WBC super bantamweight champion Fatuma ‘Iron Fist’ Zarika journey to the top has not been an easy ride.
Born on 13th of March 1985 in Satellite, Nairobi, she never got the love of both her parents.
They separated when she was still young, and lived with her mother. She has since gone through a lot to make it to the world ranking in the boxing arena, and remains one of the best boxers in the region and by extension the continent.
She started her schooling at Kabiria Primary School but could not continue with her studies after the primary level owing to the state of poverty in her family.
She was forced to fend for herself and the family as well at a tender age, exposing her to the hard life in the capital, and that is how her hustling life started.
“I felt really bad that I couldn’t go on to the next level of my education after completing primary school. I understood that my mother was trying her best to provide for my brother and I. I had to do what I could to help out and maybe make enough money to put myself through school,” Zarika revealed during an interview with local radio station.
She decided to find any job that could give her any income, landing her first job as a housemaid, and worked for a year in the neighborhood.
She then conceived and gave birth while still a teenager, and this, according to her, changed a lot in her life as it meant she had to be there for her young one and provide for her.
“I was really desperate for change in my life and it took all of me not to give up because I had people counting on me. Seeing as I had no education and no steady source of income, I deliberated getting married and with that I left home without saying a word to my mother,” Zarika explains.
She later moved to South B, while still at 19, where she stayed with her cousin and tried to look for alternative means of income.
“Sophia was a bundle of joy and she was one of the very few things that would put a smile on my face after every long day. Though she fell sick quite often and as a mother being unable to help by simply catering for medical expenses, is a feeling that is almost impossible for one to get over,” she stated.
Zarika has two daughters; Sofia and Halima, who inspired her to venture into Boxing in a bid to make them have a better life.
It is here in South B where she decided to venture into active sports, where she started with soccer. It did not go through as expected, and was forced to try another sport.
At some point, she met Conjestina Achieng’, who introduced her into boxing. That’s how she got into boxing and has since gone on to build a name for herself.
Zarika began professional boxing in 2000 and she did not earn anything during her first professional competition. However, this was as a stepping stop and she did not give up.
She participated in the World Boxing Council championship in Mexico and won. This became the turning point in her boxing career as she engaged and won in more fights.
She now holds a record of record to 31 wins, 12 losses, and two draws. She’s being sponsored currently by Sportpesa.
Yesternight, Zarika retained her title after beating her Zambian challenger, Catherine Phiri .
Zarika won after a 3-0 unanimous decision following the fight that was hosted at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi.
The judges, Michael Neequaye, Fillemon Mweya and Irene Semakula gave their scores as 98-92 99-91 97-93 sending KICC into a frenzy.
Zarika said that Phiri has had the last chance to snatch the title from her.
The match was a repeat of the December 2, 2017 title contest at the Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi where she carried the day in an explosive fight.
Since then, Zarika went on to deliver a successful defence beating visiting Mexican Yamileth “Yeimi” Mercado in a split points decision on September 8 last year.
Phiri has had three fights, winning all since then.
Phiri once held the WBC World bantamweight title where she defended it once before losing it.