2026 Commonwealth Games: Idi Amin’s grandson disqualified for headbutting opponent

Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan military ruler Idi Amin, has been disqualified from the 2026 Commonwealth Games after headbutting his opponent during a dramatic super-heavyweight quarter-final in Glasgow.

Abdul, 25, saw his hopes of winning Commonwealth gold come to an abrupt end after the referee disqualified him midway through the final round of his bout against England’s Damar Thomas.

The Ugandan, also known as “Aziz Ringo”, had entered the Games declaring his ambition to become “the new king of Scotland” in a nod to his grandfather, who famously proclaimed himself the “King of Scotland” in 1976.

The contest began brightly for Abdul as he landed several sweeping left hooks in the opening round.

However, Thomas responded with a sharp left hand that forced the Ugandan into a standing count before taking control of the contest.

Abdul’s frustrations grew in the second round as he was penalised for repeatedly punching Thomas after the pair broke from a clinch.

With Thomas comfortably ahead on the scorecards, Abdul’s campaign unravelled completely in the final round when he lifted his head into his opponent’s chin during another clinch.

The referee immediately issued a third infringement, resulting in an automatic disqualification as the crowd jeered the Ugandan out of the ring.

Reacting to the decision, Abdul insisted the referee had made the wrong call.

He said: “This referee’s decision is not right and I am not happy.

“Of course it’s unfair. When you watch the previous fights of England, their boxers create a lot of fouls.”

He also alleged home advantage played a role in the outcome.

“The judges wanted him to win because he’s at home,” Abdul claimed.

The Ugandan further alleged he had been treated unfairly by officials.

“I’m a black African, I know… I don’t know why the officials are scared about this fight.

“Why can’t they let this fight continue?” he said.

Abdul also maintained that the clash of heads was accidental and claimed it came after he had been struck by an elbow that went unpunished.

The defeat ended Abdul’s hopes of delivering Uganda its first Commonwealth boxing medal since 1990, while Thomas advanced to the semi-finals, guaranteeing himself at least a bronze medal.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖