‘Okocha Didn’t Beat Me, He Bit Me’ — Portable Explains Ring Walkout
Street-pop singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has alleged that Nollywood actor Charles Okocha bit him during their celebrity boxing rematch in Lagos, insisting the incident prompted him to leave the ring before the contest could be concluded.
Portable made the allegation in a series of videos posted on his Instagram page on Saturday, a day after he was disqualified and Okocha was declared the winner of the bout at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The rematch, promoted as “Unfinished Business” under the Chaos in the Ring celebrity boxing franchise, descended into chaos during the opening round as both entertainers exchanged punches before grappling and falling to the canvas. Security personnel and bodyguards eventually stepped in to separate the two men after the bell rang to close the round. Portable subsequently left the ring, and although he later returned, the referee ruled that he had abandoned the contest and disqualified him, handing victory to Okocha.
Addressing his team, trainer, and fans in the videos, Portable rejected any suggestion that he had been fairly defeated, insisting he only stopped fighting because Okocha had bitten him during the contest. He displayed what he described as bite marks and injuries on his back and body, alleging that Okocha had abandoned boxing altogether in favour of wrestling-style tactics, and claiming that several people had attacked him during the melee that followed.
The singer maintained that he had been dominating the fight before the situation escalated, repeatedly insisting he had landed more effective blows on his opponent throughout the contest and describing himself as having beaten Okocha “man to man” before the altercation broke out.
The rematch had been organised as a follow-up to the pair’s earlier, controversial encounter, in which Portable was declared the winner, a result Okocha had long disputed and repeatedly called to be revisited. Friday’s bout marked Portable’s second celebrity boxing defeat of the year, having also lost an earlier contest to content creator Carter Efe, making the Okocha rematch one he had entered needing to win in order to restore his standing in the ring.
Following the incident, Portable’s management, Zeh Nation/Dr Zeh, issued a formal apology on Saturday to the event organisers, Balmoral Group, and fans who attended, expressing regret over the abrupt end to the highly anticipated bout and acknowledging the disappointment caused by the singer’s decision to step away after the opening round. The statement also promised that Portable would return stronger in future contests.
The abrupt conclusion left both entertainers without the resolution they had sought from the rematch, sparking widespread reaction and criticism online, with the incident becoming one of the most talked-about moments in Nigeria’s growing celebrity boxing scene.
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