FORMER boxing world champion Dingaan Thobela has died aged 57.

Thobela is understood to have been battling illness before his sad passing was confirmed.

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The South African was was found dead in his flat in Johannesburg by police.

His friend Eddie Mutungutungu confirmed the ex-boxer was found dead after several attempts to contact him, TimesLIVE in South Africa say.

Mutungutungu said: “He was strangely unavailable on his cellphone, and his family, accompanied by police, managed to gain access to his place of residence and found he had passed on.”

Thobela won belts in two divisions – lightweight and super-middleweight – during his career.

He won the WBA and WBO belts at lightweight during the 1990s.

And in 2000, he went up FIVE divisions to become WBC champ at super-middleweight.

Thobela had a celebrated career and faced star names like Mikkel Kessler and Lucian Bute – both former opponents of Carl Froch.

But the former boxer lost his last seven bouts in a row, including his 2006 comeback fight.

He returned after two years out to face Soon Botes at the age of 40, losing in round ten.

Thobela leaves behind his two children Ntombi and Dingaan Thobela Junior, shared with ex-wife Sandra.