Isaac Dogboe is reported to have switched nationality from Ghana to the UK ahead of his Featherweight world title eliminator against Joet Gonzalez.According to a report by TV3, the 27-year-old boxer announced his nationality switch during a press conference in Accra.Dogbe will fight two-time world title challenger Gonzalez in a 10-round main event Saturday, July 23, 2022 at Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota.
Gonzalez’s WBO International belt will be on the line, while the winner is likely to have a title shot against Emanuel Navarrete.
Dogboe has fought under the Ghanaian flag since breaking out as a professional, although he holds both Ghanaian and British citizenship.
The boxer’s career took a major hit following two successive defeats to Navarrete in 2018. He lost his WBO super bantamweight title to Navarrete after a one-sided bout in December that year.
It was the first professional defeat of his career after he lost by unanimous decision to his opponent.
Dogboe had a rematch with Navarrete in May 2018, but again fell flat against the Mexican, having failed to last the entire 12 rounds, as he was handed TKO defeat.
He has, however, since recovered from the setback by recording an eighth-round victory by way of knockout against Chris Avalos in July 2020.
In November 2021, Dogboe chalked another impressive victory when he defeated Puerto Rican boxer Christopher Diaz by majority decision.
Meanwhile, speaking ahead of his world title eliminator against Gonzalez, Dogboe suggested his heart will always be with Ghana.
“To simply put it, I’m here in Ghana. If I fought for England, I’d have made a lot more money and I wouldn’t have gone through the hustle that we had to go through,” he said.
“We wouldn’t have had to travel, you know being on the road, as long as we did. I’m here with honour and that’s the most important thing.
“I’m here because I want to inspire the people. Over the years, people would say there aren’t equipment here in Ghana; there’s nothing here and that’s the reason why we’re not moving forward.
“I’ve been a pro for over 10 years, so you tell me where my heart is. Is it here [Ghana] or is it elsewhere?” Dogboe added.
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