Today, that country's bright light, 32-year-old Makabu from Kananga, will be involved in another history-making bout.
Ilunga Makabu was not even born when his country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, hosted what would be a historic heavyweight world boxing championship fight between Americans Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
The WBC and WBA title fight which Ali won via an eighth round stoppage took place at the 20th May Stadium in Zaire, now known as DRC, on October 30 1974. The fight was dubbed"Rumble in the Jungle" by American promoter Don King who is said to have initially tagged it"From the slave ship to the Championship" until that country's president Mobutu Sese Seko caught wind of the idea and ordered all the posters to be burned.
Mobutu paid each fighter $5m simply for showing up, hoping the fight would draw the world's attention to the country's enormous beauty and vast reserves of natural resources.