
The bouts will see the OPBF Lightweight, Super Bantamweight and Bantamweight being defended and the Minimumweight division having a new champion crowned, with that title currently vacant.
The announcement confirmed the story we ran earlier this year, that Super Bantamweight champion Shun Kubo (10-0, 7) [久保隼] would be defending his title against Korean visitor Jin Wook Lim (8-4-5, 2) [임진욱 ], in the only previously reported bout. This will be Kubo's second defense of the title.
The Lightweight title fight will see Masayoshi Nakatani (12-0, 7) [中谷 正義] defending his title against former OPBF Super Featherweight champion Allan Tanada (14-5-3, 6). This will be Tanada's first OPBF title bout since he lost the 130lb title to Masao Nakamura in 2010 and will see him return to Japan for his 4th bout in the country whilst Nakatani will be hunting his 6th defense.
At Bantamweight we get the best bout, on paper at least, as champion Takahiro Yamamoto (18-4, 15) [山本 隆寛] takes on Japanese based Filipino Mark John Yap (24-12, 10). Although it looks like a mismatch on paper Yap is much better than his record indicates and he could well give the exciting but flawed Yamamoto a war in what will be the Ioka man's third defense.
The Minimumweight title fight will see 21 year old hopeful Ryuya Yamanaka (12-2, 3) [山中 竜也] take on former WBO world champion Merlito Sabillo (25-3-1, 12), in a bout for a title finally vacated by Xiong Zhao Zhong. For Sabillo it's a chance to become a 2-time OPBF champion whilst Yamamaka will be fighting in his first title bout.
(Image courtesy of boxingnews.jp)