Naliva confident ahead of title fight

Homeboy and former Fiji light heavyweight champion Save­naca Naliva (pictured) is con­fident of beating Alivereti Kauyaca to claim the Fiji cruiserweight title when they clash next Saturday (No­vember 21) at the AD Patel College hall in Ba.

Hailing from Sorokoba in Ba, Na­liva boasts of a proud record of 25 professional fights with 16 wins, 8 losses and a draw.

Speaking to SUNsports yesterday, Naliva said he expects a tough con­test against Kauyaca, who he re­spects as well.

"My training sessions have been going very well at the moment," he said.

"I'm expecting a tough fight against Kauyaca. I know he is a very smart boxer and I will try my best to give him a good fight. I will not under­estimate him and will respect him since he is the current cruiserweight champion."

Naliva said he was looking forward to the 10-round title fight.

"Only time will tell who the rightful champion is," he added.

Naliva said this fight would mark his return after taking a break from boxing in 2025. His last fight was against Sebastian Singh at Vodafone Arena in 2024.

"After one year, I'm back in the boxing ring, and I can't wait to show my opponent what boxing is. "The last time I fought was against Sebastian Singh in 2024 at the Voda­fone Arena. In 2025, I decided to take a rest from boxing," he said.

He said his decision to return was also motivated by his desire to re­main physically active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

"I've been working on my fitness level before the fight on the 21st of this month," Naliva added.