South Africa wants to host the unification fight between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis in what would be the continent's biggest boxing event since the "Rumble in the Jungle" between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman.

President Nelson Mandela's daughter Zindzi is behind the drive to bring the heavyweight bout, scheduled for early next year, to South Africa and has been talking to promoter Don King.

"We have had a meeting with Don King and have met with Mr Holyfield who have both expressed interest in bringing the fight to South Africa," she told South African radio.

The commercial logic of boxing suggests the fight will take place in Las Vegas. But Zindzi Mandela remains optimistic.

"South Africa has a very, very good chance," she said.

Boxing runs in the family - her father is an avid fight fan who boxed in his early years and now takes great pleasure in meeting the world's great fighters.

Holyfield, promoted by King, was introduced to Mandela on a visit to South Africa last year. In September, Mandela light-heartedly said he would like to see a unification bout take place in South Africa.

"The president would be very excited to have the fight take place here. He's an avid boxing watcher and commentator," Mandela's spokesman told Reuters.

The World Boxing Council will hold its annual convention in South Africa later this month, when details of the venue of the unification fight are likely to be discussed.

American Holyfield is the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion while Briton Lewis holds the World Boxing Council belt.

The titles were last unified in 1987 by Mike Tyson.

Africa's greatest fight, and to many afficionados the most electric boxing event of all time, was Ali's unexpected victory over Foreman in their 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire.

Then the Kinshasa government put up most of the money for the fight. This time, pay television will need to generate in the region of $30 million to satisfy the demands of the promoters and their fighters.

Ulster-man Eamonn Magee will clash with Preston's Paul Burke for the vacant Commonwealth light welterweight title on November 30th at Bowlers, Manchester.

Magee, touted as Irish boxing's hottest prospect, will be having his first title fight while Burke is aiming to regain the championship he lost in an ill-fated, controversial, bout with Zambian Felix Bwalya last December.

Following their gruelling 12-rounder Bwalya subsequently fell into a coma and died. Awarded a disputed decision, the title was declared vacant and Burke nominated as the mandatory challenger.