Bookmakers made Melvin Jerusalem a strong favorite against Siyakholwa Kuse when they face off in their fight on Saturday 16th May 2026 at Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa.
He is currently 2/5 (-250) to win the fight outright, while you can get 2/1 (+200) on Siyakholwa Kuse if you fancy the upset.
That means that oddsmakers think there is 69% chance of Jerusalem winning while giving Kuse a 31% chance.
Jerusalem opened as the favorite at 4/11 (-280) however, that price has shortened by 26/-25 (+100).
Kuse opened at 2/1 (+200).
The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds in the Minimumweight division, which means both fighters will have to make the weight limit of 105 pounds (7.35 stones or 47.73 kg) on the day of the weigh-in.
This contest is for the WBC minimumweight championship of the world.
Jerusalem vs Kuse Head To Head
Melvin Jerusalem steps into the ring with a record of 25 wins, 3 losses, and 0 draws, 12 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Siyakholwa Kuse will make his way to the ring with a record of 9 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw, with 4 of those wins by knockout.
The stats suggest Jerusalem has a slight advantage in power over Kuse, with a 48% knockout percentage compared to Kuse's 44%.
Melvin Jerusalem is the older man by 10 years, at 32 years old.
Kuse has a height advantage of 1 inch over Jerusalem.
Both Melvin Jerusalem and Siyakholwa Kuse fight out of an orthodox stance.
Jerusalem is the more experienced professional fighter, having had 15 more fights, and made his debut in 2014, 3 years and 9 months earlier than Kuse, whose first professional fight was in 2018. He has fought 81 more professional rounds, totaling 188 compared to Kuse's 107.
Melvin Jerusalem goes into the fight ranked number 1 by The Ring at minimumweight.
Siyakholwa Kuse is currently ranked number 2 by the WBC, and 4 by The Ring in the 105lb division.
Jerusalem vs Kuse betting form
Melvin Jerusalem has beaten 4 of his last 5 opponents.
In his last fight, he defeated Siyakholwa Kuse on October 29, 2025, by unanimous decision in their WBC World Minimumweight championship fight at Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, Philippines. He was a 1/10 (-1200) favorite going into the fight.
Prior to that, he had defeated Yudai Shigeoka on March 30, 2025, by unanimous decision in their WBC World Minimumweight championship fight at Aichi Sky Expo, Tokoname, Japan. He was a 7/5 (+140) underdog going into the fight.
Going into that contest, he had beaten Luis Angel Castillo on September 22, 2024, by unanimous decision in their WBC World Minimumweight championship fight at Mandaluyong City College Gymnasium, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Before that, he had won against Yudai Shigeoka on March 31, 2024, by split decision in their WBC World Minimumweight championship fight at International Conference Hall, Nagoya, Japan. He was a 9/2 (+460) underdog going into the fight.
He had been beaten by Oscar Collazo on May 27, 2023, by split decision in the 7th round in their WBO World Minimumweight championship fight at Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, United States. He was a 5/2 (+250) underdog going into the fight.
Who's been more active?
Jerusalem's last 5 fights have come over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 19 days, which means he has been fighting approximately every 7 months and 5 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 55 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 11 rounds on average.
What’s the Latest Time I Can Bet on Jerusalem vs Kuse Pre Fight?
The fighters are expected to ringwalk at around 8:00 PM UTC at Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa, which is 4:00 PM EST or 1:00 PM PST on the West Coast of America, or 9:00 PM BST in the UK.
