Rumors swirling around Kampala’s boxing circles suggest that Sparks Boxing Academy has turned down a fight offer involving their prized talent, Aaron “Da Goat” Ouma, against rising featherweight Joel “Pacquiao” Mudenya.

According to leaked reports, Mudenya’s camp approached Sparks Academy with a financial offer to stage the bout on the 27th of this month. However, the deal allegedly collapsed after Sparks dismissed the proposed purse as “too little” for their undefeated star.

Insiders claim Sparks emphasized that Ouma is “not a journey boy” but a fighter with “ambitions and goals,” making them unwilling to accept what they saw as a lowball offer. Still, the decision has sparked debate: was it really about the money, or did Sparks fear that facing the hard-hitting Pacquiao could derail Ouma’s rising career?

Both fighters are unbeaten and quickly climbing the domestic and international rankings. Mudenya, a product of the UBCL, holds a professional record of 2 fights, 2 wins, and 1 knockout. He is currently ranked 4th out of 12 featherweights in Uganda and 738th worldwide out of 1,793.

On the other hand, Ouma has a slightly deeper record—4 fights, 4 wins, with 1 knockout. He stands 5th out of 20 super featherweights in Uganda and 473rd globally out of 2,001.

A potential clash between the two undefeated prospects would have been one of the most intriguing all-Ugandan matchups of the year. For now, fans are left speculating whether this fight was avoided for financial reasons—or because the risk outweighed the reward.