42 Facts About Hekkie Budler

Hector "Hekkie" Budler was born on 18 May 1988 and is a South African former professional boxer.

Hekkie Budler has held world championships in two weight classes, including the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organization minimumweight titles between 2011 and 2016, and the unified WBA, International Boxing Federation, and Ring magazine light-flyweight titles in 2018.

Hekkie Budler won the closely contested fight by majority decision.

Hekkie Budler was victorious, as he was awarded the split decision.

From that point onward, Hekkie Budler began to take over the fight and won the last three rounds.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to face Evaristo Primero in a non-title bout on August 14,2010, at the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to make the second defense of his title against the former IBO minimumweight champion Gideon Buthelezi on January 27,2011, at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to fight Michael Landero for the vacant IBO minimumweight title on September 24,2011.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to face Shamila Kortman in a non-title bout on March 26,2012.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to make his first title defense against the former IBF Minimumweight World Champion Florante Condes on September 22,2012.

Hekkie Budler spent the majority of the fight on the backfoot, scoring points with straight pushes, while Condes was unable to successfully pressure the champion.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to face Renan Trongco in his second IBO minimumweight title defense on February 16,2013.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to fight the former IBF and IBO mini flyweight champion Nkosinathi Joyi on June 15,2013.

Hekkie Budler won the fight by split decision, outscoring his fellow South African on two of the judges scorecards.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to face Hugo Hernan Verchelli on November 9,2013.

Hekkie Budler knocked Verchelli down three times before the 2:30 minute mark: the first time with a left hook, the second and third time with a body shot.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to fight Karluis Diaz for the IBO minimumweight and vacant WBA minimumweight title on March 1,2014.

Hekkie Budler notched the quickest victory of his career, flooring Diaz with an overhand right at the 2:59 minute mark.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to make his first title defense as a double-champion against Vicha Phulaikaw on June 21,2014.

Hekkie Budler scored his third consecutive stoppage victory, stopping Vicha in the eight round.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to made his second title defense as a double-champion against the Xiong Chaozhong on October 25,2014.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to defend his world titles against the Mexican Jesus Silvestre on February 21,2015.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to defend his two world titles for the third time against Simphiwe Khonco on September 19,2015.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to defend his titles against Byron Rojas on March 19,2016.

The fact that the bout was contested in South Africa, as well as the fact that Rojas hadn't faced the same level of opposition as Hekkie Budler, resulted in Rojas coming into the fight as an underdog.

Hekkie Budler remained in control for the duration of the bout, successfully countering anytime Siyo tried to get on the inside.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to fight Joey Canoy for the vacant IBO light-flyweight title on February 4,2017.

Hekkie Budler notched his first stoppage victory in two years, after Canoy retired from the fight at the end of the seventh round.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to challenge the reigning IBF light flyweight champion Milan Melindo on September 16,2017.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to challenge the unified WBA, IBF, and The Ring light-flyweight titlist Ryoichi Taguchi on May 20,2018.

Taguchi failed to make use of his height and reach advantage, as Hekkie Budler successfully outboxed him utilizing outfighting tactics.

Hekkie Budler became the first South African to win three world titles simultaneously, the first African to win the Ring Magazine belt, and the first South African under the new Boxing SA Act of 2001 to win the Ring Magazine title.

In June 2021, IBF ordered Hekkie Budler to make a mandatory defense against Felix Alvarado.

Hekkie Budler subsequently vacated the title, stating: "The purse money I was offered to defend was not good".

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to make his first title defense as a unified title holder against Hiroto Kyoguchi on December 31,2018, at the Wynn Palace in Macau.

Hekkie Budler claimed he had trouble properly breathing in the fight, as he was having sinus issues going into the fight.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to face Jonathan Almacen for the vacant WBC Silver light-flyweight title on May 22,2021.

Hekkie Budler was scheduled to face Elwin Soto in the main event of a TV Azteca broadcast card on June 25,2022, at the Palenque del FEX in Mexicali, Mexico in a WBC light flyweight title eliminator.

Hekkie Budler landed the sole knockdown of the fight in the twelfth round, which proved to be the decisive moment of the fight, as he would have lost the fight otherwise.

Hekkie Budler accepted an undisclosed step-aside fee on January 11,2023, to allow Teraji to face the WBO light flyweight champion Jonathan Gonzalez in a title unification bout.

Hekkie Budler beat Wichet Sengprakhon by a first-round knockout on May 5,2023, after which the WBC ordered Teraji to face him in a mandatory title defense.

Hekkie Budler challenged Teraji on September 18,2023, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.