In the build-up to their middleweight fight today, Isaac 'Zebra' Ssenyange and Haruna 'Banabana' Diba have engaged in probably the trash-talk of the year, writes Moses Mugalu. The 10-round scheduled middleweight fight has with a belt at stake and is the first major contest sanctioned by the Uganda Boxing Union (UBU). But as Ssenyange and Diba step into ring tonight at Lugogo Indoor Stadium Arena, fight fans remain curious on whether any of the two fighters lives up to the talk.

Apart from their amateur records, there is nothing to write home about both fighters who only turned professional in desperate bids to prolong their careers in the ring.

For instance, Zebra ended his two-decade long spell around the national amateur team when he made his professional debut in April this year.

At 37 years old, Ssenyange went full distance (six rounds) to beat Kenyan journeyman Paul Amote. 27-year-old Banabana has had only four fights; winning twice, drawing and losing once, ever since he switched to paid ranks in 2009. Two of his bouts were against a tested Hamza Wandera.

In their pre-fight press conference, Banabana landed the hardest verbal punches when he said that Ssenyange is "old and a tired lion." Ssenyange, who had earlier stated that Banabana is an 'unskilled' fighter, reacted angrily to the comments and promised to knockout his opponent in the first round.