SORIANO TARGETS WBO ORIENTAL TITLE VS. NAZAROV

By Rene Bonsubre,Jr

A few days ago, this website featured a poster showing Ivan Soriano (20-2-1,10KO’s) of the Philippines against Olimjon Nazarov (18-5,11KO’s) of Uzbekistan for the vacant WBO Oriental flyweight title August 25 in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. 

The 30 year old Soriano will be looking to reverse his road loss last year in Shenzhen,China, by unanimous decision to Chinese prospect Ge Wenfeng for the vacant WBO International flyweight title. This was only his second loss as a pro.

Soriano is from Gen.Santos City, the hometown of Manny Pacquiao. He turned pro in 2009 and suffered his first loss in 2010 by unanimous decision to Delmar Cabatas. He spent a couple of years fighting exclusively in Thailand with a 5W (4KO’s)-1D record. Since the loss to Ge, Soriano has since bounced back with victories against Rogen Flores and Bonjun Loperez.

“Our training camp is going well,” Soriano’s trainer Jhun Agrabio told this writer, “Ivan and I have watched a video of his opponent. I think Ivan can beat him, he just needs to avoid being lax and overconfident because his opponent is naturally bigger.”

Soriano is listed as a light flyweight in boxrec while Nazarov fights as a flyweight.

The 33 years old Nazarov turned pro in 2008. He lost thrice in the U.S., including a unanimous decision loss in 2017 to Stephon Young, who was knocked out by Nonito Donaire last April. 

Nazarov has since compiled five straight wins since returning to fight in Uzbekistan. A google search yielded one of Nazarov’s accomplishments as an amateur - a bronze medal in the 2007 Asian Championships. He also has a promotional video on youtube courtesy of Cocky Buffalo, the company that will be promoting this bout.

File photo – Ivan Soriano during the weigh-in for his bout against Wenfeng Ge in Shenzhen last year.

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