Portable claims Charles Okocha bit him during boxing match

Street-pop singer Habeeb Okikiola, widely known as Portable, has claimed that actor Charles Okocha bit him during their boxing rematch in Lagos. This incident made him walk out of the ring before the match ended.

Portable shared his accusation in several posts on his Instagram account soon after he was disqualified. Okocha was declared the winner of the match at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday.

The rematch was called “Unfinished Business” under the Chaos in the Ring celebrity boxing event. It got chaotic in the first round as both entertainers exchanged punches, then grappled and fell to the ground.

Portable left the ring but returned later. The referee ruled he had abandoned the match and disqualified him, giving Okocha the win.

This fight was meant to resolve their long-standing rivalry that started from their first boxing match in December 2023. Portable was declared the winner of that fight, but Okocha disagreed with the result and kept asking for a rematch.

‘He bit me’

Portable denied claims that he lost fairly. He said he stopped fighting because Okocha allegedly bit him during the match.

In a video addressing his team and trainer, the singer said: “I am a star. I was bitten. As I blew him, Okocha put his hand on my back and bit me. My fans, I am a musician; my music is okay. It’s the extra doing that makes people fight. Come and remove my clothes to see what is on my back.”

He also defended his choice to fight Okocha, saying he picked him as his opponent and was paid for it.

“I am the one who chooses who to fight. I collected money. I am your brand, I am the one promoting you. My trainer trained me. You are not meant to use your teeth to fight,” he said.

‘That’s why I stopped’

Portable insisted he was winning the match before he walked away.

“Don’t joke with me, I am a star. Charles Okocha, the biter. Nigeria, America, Canada, Russia, everyone, do you know why I stopped the fight? He held me and bit me. Man to man, I finished him. I beat him mercilessly. I gave him several blows.

“It’s a fight they said we should fight, not bite.”

As of this report, Okocha had not publicly replied to Portable’s claims.

Management apologises

In light of the controversy, Portable’s management apologised to the organisers, Balmoral Group, the event team, fans, and supporters for the singer’s actions and his decision to leave the match.

In a statement on Instagram from his manager, Olawale Sarah, the management recognised the disappointment from the fight’s outcome.

“We sincerely apologise to the organisers, Balmoral Group, the entire event team, our fans, friends, family, and everyone who came out to support Portable at tonight’s celebrity boxing event,” the statement read.

They urged the public to respect Portable’s view on what happened.

“We understand the disappointment caused by the outcome of the fight and by Portable’s decision to step away after the first round. While emotions can run high in moments like these, we respectfully ask everyone to respect his decision and perspective.”

The statement added that Portable’s management took responsibility for the disappointment and promised to learn from the incident.

“We have taken note of the feedback, and we are committed to learning from this experience. We promise to come back stronger and do better next time.”

Long-running rivalry

Friday’s match was meant to settle the ongoing rivalry between the two after Okocha questioned the result of their first meeting in 2023. Instead, the rematch ended in more controversy, with Portable challenging the reasons for his defeat and saying Okocha bit him during the fight.

Event organisers decided that Portable’s choice to leave the ring was abandoning the match, leading to his disqualification and Okocha being named the winner.