Boxing – Jerusalem vs Kuse: Schedules and Analysis.

Seven months later, the tension still remains in Manila for the WBC Strawweight championship. Melvin Jerusalem is forwarding to South Africa for a most-awaited rematch against Siyakholwa Kuse. On May 16, 2026, Filipino champion Melvin Jerusalem will defend his title against Kuse in Johannesburg. Melvin Jerusalem will expect to resolve the first matchup rivalry. Their previous fight in October 2025 was called “Thrilla in Manila: 50th Anniversary”. It became one of the most exciting world title matches of the year. The two fighters battled hard for all twelve rounds in a very close contest. In the end, Jerusalem won by unanimous decision with scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 115-113.

This time inside the arena, everything is different. Kuse will fight in front of his home crowd in Kempton Park. This is almost 6,000 feet above sea level and can make even top fighters feel tired more quickly. Jerusalem’s team is treating this fight very seriously. To help him get used to the local weather and conditions, they made sure the Filipino champion arrived 20 days early. The winner of this match will earn an undisputed crown clash against Oscar Collazo. Currently, he holds the WBO and WBA belts at 105 pounds.

Event Details

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Fight Schedule

Main Event: Melvin Jerusalem vs. Siyakholwa Kuse

Date: 16 May 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 01:00 PM ET | 10:00 AM PT | 10:30 PM IST

Venue: Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa.

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Full Fight Cards

Where can I watch the Jerusalem vs Kuse fight?

DAZN is the official streaming partner for this fight. You can watch this Jerusalem vs Kuse: WBC World Strawweight Title clash on DAZN with a subscription. Alternatively, you can watch the fight through pay-per-view.

In the United Kingdom, fans can watch the super showdown fight between Jerusalem vs Kuse on Sky Sports/TNT Sports.

Fans from the home country can watch the live stream on One Sports/Blow by Blow or One PH. They are excited to watch the clash between Jerusalem and Kuse.

Fans in and around South Africa will have a live streaming platform option via SuperSport/MultiChoice DStv.

In Australia, the clash between Jerusalem vs Kuse can be watched through Kayo Sports.

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Fighters’ Bio and Stats

Melvin Jerusalem

Siyakholwa Kuse

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Fighters’ Profile

Melvin Jerusalem

Early life

Melvin was born on 22nd February 1994 in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Philippines. He grew up in a home with both serious struggles and boxing in equal measures. His mother worked for long hours at a pineapple plantation to keep the family together. He was the third of six children in this home. Three of his siblings were professional boxers. His father passed away at the age of 47 around late 2015. Jerusalem said this loss actually made him want to work harder at the sport.

Amateur career

Jerusalem represented Manolo Fortich in regional tournaments with his teenage colleagues. He captured a bronze medal at the PLDT-ABAP National Boxing Championships in Bohol in 2012. He won a silver medal at the 2014 Philippine National Games in Manila. These results built a reputation for him to make the jump to professional boxing the same year.

Professional career

Jerusalem made his debut on July 13, 2014, and won by unanimous decision. He won his first 11 fights before losing a world title match against Thailand’s Wanheng Menayothin in January 2017. He almost earned a draw, but a controversial point penalty cost him the win. Another loss against Joey Canoy had deployed his rise. He rebuilt his career by winning the OPBF minimumweight title in 2021. A career breakthrough came in January 2003 when he won against Japan’s Masataka Taniguichi. He claimed it in the second round to win the WBO title belt. He lost his WBO title against Oscar Collazo. He traveled back to Japan and won the WBC title from Yudai Shigeoka by split decision in 2024. After winning three title fights in a row, he came back to South Africa. He was recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the minimumweight class.

Siyakholwa Kuse

Early life

Kuse was born on 13 July 2003 in Mdantsane. It’s known for producing South African boxing champions in the Eastern Cape. He grew up involved in and around the sport. He faced many challenges in his early life. He fought against drug addiction in his mid-career. With the help of his mentor, Mia Tengimfene, he recovered by enrolling in a rehabilitation center. His mentor helped him rebuild his career and get back his South African title. Kuse is a popular figure in the Johannesburg boxing community. He used his personal life story to motivate others.

Amateur career

In his youth, he trained at local gyms in Mdantsane. He used to spar with his mates in the gym before competing in National and International tournaments. At the 2017 Youth World Championship, he won his first fight against Tiholohelo Mokhesi from Lesotho. He lost his next match against India’s Sachin Siwach Singh in the bronze medal bout. Even though he lost, he still proved his talent as a skilled left-handed fighter.

Professional career

Kuse made his professional debut on June 30, 2018. He earned attention in South Africa after winning the national minimumweight title. Even after losing the belt, he won it back and later went on to bigger fights. In the second half of 2023, he won the African minimumweight title. He won the WBC silver minimumweight title in December 2025. In May 2025, he defeated Filipino boxer Samuel Salva even after being knocked down in the first round. That victory earned him a world title fight against Jerusalem in Manila. Even though he lost the close fight, he impressed many people with his performance. This strong performance helped him earn this rematch in his home country.

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Fighters’ rankings

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Boxing records

Melvin Jerusalem — 25 wins, 3 losses

Siyakholwa Kuse — 9 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw

Jerusalem vs Kuse: Fight prediction

The first fight was closer than the scorecards suggested, and that’s what makes this rematch so interesting. Kuse outsmarted Jerusalem for long stretches in Manila with higher punch output, sharper southpaw angles. This kind of energy a 22-year-old brings into a world title shot with nothing to lose. Jerusalem’s experience won out in the championship rounds, but the margins were razor-thin.

Now flip the variables. Kuse is in Johannesburg, at an altitude, in front of a crowd that will push him through every difficult moment. Jerusalem had already known and publicly looked for a knockout. He is not planning to leave it in the hands of judges. That attitude could help him or hurt. It may make this fight more aggressive and confident. It could also leave him open to Kuse’s strong left-hand counter punches.

The altitude is the great unknown. Jerusalem arrives early to accumulate, but Kuse was born and bred in this environment. High-paced, high-output fights at elevation tend to favor the local fighter as the rounds move up. If Kuse can keep the tempo high through the middle rounds, he has a real chance to win the close rounds. In a competitive fight like this, those rounds can decide the winner.

Jerusalem’s class and finishing skills remain a slight edge. He is a two-time world champion who has won world titles in Japan. His performance level in the second half of fights is consistently high. But this is genuinely a coin-flip rematch, and Kuse has every tool to turn the result.

The Pick: Melvin Jerusalem wins by unanimous decision