Sumiyoshi SportsCenter, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
In Osaka we get a huge show, stacked with some of the best fighters in West Japan. In total the show has 7 genuinely noteworthy bouts, headlined by a world title bout and featuring former world champions, farmer world title challengers, former national champions and very highly regarded prospects, in what could be the best card in Osaka this year.

The main event will see IBF Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1) make his first defense, as he takes on unbeaten Thai challenger Anuchai Donsua (16-0, 7), in what appears to be something of a step back for the talented Nishida. The unbeaten Japanese fighter won the title back in back in May, as he took a well earned decision over Emmanuel Rodriguez, adding Rodriguez to a resume that also contains wins over Diago Higa, Shohei Omori and Christian Medina Jimenez. There was talk after that win of unification bouts, but they failed to materialise and instead Nishida is taking on an opponent without much of a profile, in what is certainly an underwhelming first defense for someone who showed he belonged at the top table of the division. Despite Donsua being underwhelming he’ll know all the pressure is on Nishida to not just win, but make a statement, and lay down his claim as being worthy of the attention of the other champions. The Thai, who made his debut in 2022, has never fought outside of Thailand, and has a mix of poor to decent wins on his record. The pick of the 16 are wins over Sukpraserd Ponpitak, Ricardo Sueno and Komgrich Nantapech, none of whom really serve as much of a measuring stick to world level. His other 13 wins have 17 recorded wins between. He’s taking a leap up, and will likely know that whilst the pressure isn’t on him to win, it is on him to have a good performance, as the odds are he won’t get another shot at this level, if he simply folds. A mismatch, at least from the resumes of the two men, but we are glad Nishida will fit in a first defense before the year is over.

In the chief support bout we have an excellent clash at 108lbs as OPBF champion Thanongsak Simsri (36-1, 33) takes on former WBO Minimumweight champion Masataka Taniguchi (19-4, 13), to decide the #2 IBF contender, and potentially land a shot at IBF champion Masamichi Yabuki. The once beaten Thai, who's only loss actually came to Yabuki back in 2022, has rebuilt his career brilliantly, scoring 12 wins in a row including winning the OPBF title earlier this year with a win over Miel Fajardo, and defending it against John Paul Gabunilas. His competition hasn't always been great, but he's stayed busy, rebuilt his confidence, and showed real maturity to overcome the dangerous Fajardo. Unlike most Thai’s Simsri has made a name for himself on the road, as well as at home, and is a regular to Japanese rings, with this being his 8th bout in Japan. As for Taniguchi, the 30 year old turned professional with a lot of expectations on his shoulders following a very good amateur career, however his career has been somewhat of a mixed bag. Close losses to Reiya Konishi and Tsubasa Koura left him sporting an 8-2 record with losses at both Japanese and OPBF title level. A third career loss, to Vic Saludar, in a WBO title fight left him 11-3, but since then he has gone 8-1 claimed the Japanese and WBO Minimumweight titles and bounced back from an upset loss in 2023 against Melvin Jerusalem, to become a notable contender at 108lbs, with a win here potentially securing him a chance to become a 2-weight world champion. Stylistically both are heavy handed, both can box and whilst Simsri is the faster man with better movement, we expect he’ll be dragged into a war here to give us a very exciting bout, especially in the second half of the contest.

In an interesting all-Japanese match up we’ll see unified WBO Asia Pacific and Japanese national Middleweight champion Riku Kunimoto (12-1, 6) defending his Regional, but not national, title against the hard hitting Kazuto Takesako (17-2-1, 15), in a rematch of what is Kunimoto’s only loss. The bout, which was originally scheduled as part of the now cancelled Prizefighter Japan tournament, where it would have been a semi-final bout, but the teams of the two men and the fighters themselves decided to go ahead with the bout, despite the tournament collapsing. Kunimoto is currently riding a 8 fight winning run, which has seen him winning the Japanese title, which he has defended numerous times since 2022, and unifying it with the WBO Asia Pacific title, which he won in March. He is skilled, but a long, long way below the top international fighters in the division. As for Takesako, he’s actually had mixed fortunes since stopping Kunimoto, inside a round back in 2021, going 4-2 since then. Takesako has suffered when he's faced international opponents, losing to both Meiirim Nursultanov and Tej Pratap Singh, with both losses coming in South Korea. It should be noted that he did beat Mark Dickinson in July, in the ill fated Prizefighter, but that bout seemed to say more about Dickinson’s lack of professional seasoning rather than anything about Takesako. Kunimoto is the better pure boxer, Kunimoto the bigger puncher, and with the history between the two men, this is expected to be a very intriguing contest, and winner will be the clear #1 in Japan at 160lbs.

Another title bout will see unbeaten Filipino Kenneth Llover (12-0, 7) face off with Japan’s Tulio Dekanarudo (8-2-2, 4) in a bout for the Interim OPBF Bantamweight title, with the full version of the belt having not been defended since Keita Kurihara reclaimed the title back in January. Llover has been quietly making a name for himself back at home, scoring solid wins against the likes of Chengcheng Yang, Edward Heno, James Pagaling and Benny Canete, however this will be his first bout outside of the Philippines, and we don't know how he will travel. Aged just 21 “The Lover Boy”, could be one of the best prospects in his Pearl of the Orient, but until we know he can do it on the road, it’s hard to get too excited. As for Dekanarudo the 28 year old Japanese fighter was tipped highly when he debuted in 2018, but a 2019 upset less to Ken Jordan show some of his flaws being shown, and he is 5-1-2 since then, with his second loss coming to Toshiki Shimomachi. He is good, but we’re not sure he has the durability at title level.

In a Japanese Youth title fight, also at Bantamweight, we’ll see Shunpei Kaneshiro (3-0, 2) seek his first defense of the title, as he takes on fellow unbeaten youngster Hyuga Gushiken (4-0, 3) in a mouth watering bout, and the sort of bout that has made the Japanese Youth title such a great title to follow. Kaneshiro won the title in July, when he stopped Daichi Hirai in 8 rounds. Despite only having 3 bouts, and 2 stoppages, to his name Kaneshiro has a surprising number of pro rounds, at 20, and has seen all 3 of his bouts enter the final round, allowing him to get extra ring time and test his stamina. As for Gushiken the 22 year old made his debut way back in 2021 and has just 11 rounds from his 4 bouts, with none going beyond the 4th round, so whilst he is technically more experienced, in terms of fights, he has significantly less ring time. Both of these fighters are southpaws though have different styles, with Kaneshiro being a very talented all rounder, particularly well suited at mid range, and Gushiken being a counter puncher. This will be really interesting to see how the styles of the two men gel, though it does feel like Gushiken is stepping up, for what will be his first bout outside of Okinawa.

In a really intriguing bout former Japanese Super Featherweight champion Yuna Hara (14-3-1, 8), who lost the national title earlier this year to Tsubasa Narai, will take on unbeaten, and fast rising, prospect Ryusuke Sunagawa (3-0, 2), who take sa huge leap up in class, in a Strongest Challenger bout. Prior to losing to Narai, in April, Hara had been riding an 8 fight winning streak including notable wins against Yamato Hata and Kosuke Saka, with 6 of the 8 wins coming inside the distance. He was dethroned in his second defense, and will be desperate to get back to winning ways here. As for Sunagawa, the former amateur standout made his debut in late 2022 and has been matched hard, with his last two wins coming against Seira Kishida and Narumi Yukawa. Despite those two wins coming against good domestic fighters, this is a huge leap up in class, but also a chance to announce himself on the domestic rankings, in a huge way. The winner of this will secure a shot at the Japanese title in next year’s Champion Carnival.

One other bout of some note will see former world title challenger Jeo Santisima (24-7, 20) take on 39 year old Japanese puncher Hiro Ichimichi (8-2-1, 6), in a bout that’s the least interesting of 7 bouts on the event. Santisima is best known for losing in 2020 against Emanuel Navarrete in a bout for the WBO Super Bantamweight title. Since that loss he has gone 5-4, but fought some very notable names, with losses to Joet Gonzalez, Toshiki Shimomachi, Hatato Tsutsumi and Kenji Fujita, and a notable win over Hiroshige Osawa. He is 1-3 in Japan, but has never been stopped and will be looking to score a stoppage of his own against Ichimichi. As for the local he is a natural Super Featherweight, who has proven to be dangerous on the domestic scene, but has fallen short against his best opponents so far, with Tsubasa Narai and Yudai Murakami both taking competitive decisions over him. Given his age Ichimichi will know he can’t afford another loss here if he wants to land a title fight, of any kind, and will also know this is a huge opportunity, against a former world title challenger on a really big show.

West Japan General Exhibition Center, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Staying in Japan we also have a card in Fukuoka, albeit a much, much smaller and less notable one with only really one bout of any note set for it. That bout, the main event of the show, will see Shido Arai (7-5-1, 3) take on the JBC ranked, and heavy handed, Yoshiki Shimomura (7-1-1, 7). Arai, is a local to Kitakyushu, and will be hoping to draw a fan given his local links, however he has lost his only fight in the area which came in his debut back in 2009. Although no world beater he will almost certainly feel encouraged by the local fan base and is expected to make the most as he competes against a JBC ranked fighter for the second time in his career. Shimomura on the other hand is a destructive 25 year old, who won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2023, and will be seeking to get back to winning ways after a loss in South Korea in August, against Tae Sun Kim. Given that Arai has been stopped twice and Shimomura is heavy handed, it does feel like the match up isn’t a good one for Arai.

General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines
Over in the Philippines, we get an interesting card in General Santos City.

The show is headlined by the once beaten Ali Canega (11-1-1, 7), who will be looking to record his second win since losing to Mikyo Watarai in February in Japan. In August he had an easy comeback fight, beating Pressl Tupas in 3 rounds, and now takes the logical step up as he takes on a better level of domestic foe in the form of Rimar Metuda (17-9-1, 11). Canega is a good fighter and someone we expect to see in and around the regional title scene over the next few years. As for Metuda the 30 year old is rugged, knows how to go rounds and survive even if he’s under-sized at 140lbs, but is a far cry from the Featherweight who started his career 10-0, going 7-9-1 since that original unbeaten run. Despite picking up a lot of losses recently he has been matched hard, with losses really coming on the road. He has lost in Russia to Mirzhan Zhaxylykov, Isa Chaniev and Ravshanbek Umurzakov, in China, to Aketelieke Jieensi and Ju Wu, and Thailand, to Phoobadin Yoohanngoh. At home however he has proven to be very good losing just to Gabby Simpo and Al Toyogon. On paper this looks like a bit of a one sided bout, but in reality Metuda will be up for this and could make life very tough for Canega.

Also in action on this show is the unbeaten Kevin Villanueva (5-0. 3), with “The Spider” seeking his 6th win as he takes on Carl Jeffrey Basil (6-2-1, 4). Villanueva has been moved smartly since making his debut in August 2023, with each bout being a step up in some way, from the previous one. This will be his second 8 rounder and on paper Basil looks to be his toughest test. Not only have his opponents been improving but he's also been busy and this will be his 4th bout of 2024. Basil, known as the "Ibaloi Warrior", was matched hard early in his career, losing 2 of his first 5 to Elmar Zamora and Lorenz Dumam-ag, both of whom are still unbeaten prospects, but has won his last 2, beating the unbeaten pairing of Kasty Flores and George Sedillo earlier this year, and he'll be wanting to take a third straight 0. Villanueva will understandably be favoured, but Basil is a live under-dog.

Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines
A second, less notable, Filipino show will be held in IIlagan, and is very much a small card, with only really one bout worthy of attention, and even that is one that looks like it a one sided mismatch, at least on paper.

That bout will see 30 year old Claudevan Sese (10-6-3, 4) seek his second win of the year, as he takes on the win some-lose some Alvin Medura (11-10, 7), who will be looking to avoid falling to an 11-11 record. Sese was unbeaten in his first 10, going 7-0-3, but had struggled since then, going 3-6-3, with 5 of the 6 losses coming on the road. Whilst he has mixed at a good level, he hasn't really been competitive in his step up bouts. As for Medura he has gone 1-5 in his last 6, and whilst he, like Sese, as come up short again his better foes, he does have some notable wins to name, including one over Mugcha Nakagawa, one over Ardin Diale and one from earlier this year against the previously unbeaten Bryan Ascano. On paper this is a mismatch, but Medura is better than his record suggests and is a live fighter here, as we’ve seen in his upsets in the past.

Itaewon Primary School, Seoul, South Korea
We also get a show in South Korea, which is small, but does have several noteworthy bouts on it.

The main event local veteran Joo Young Kim (17-2-3, 10) will face once beaten Korean based Uzbekistani fighter Dovrugbek Ibragimov (4-1, 2). The 34 year old Kim has had a frustrating career. He debuted in 2013, and drew 3 of his first 5 bouts, and was 6-3-2 after 11, but is now unbeaten since a 2017 loss to Ma Roo Jung, who also give Kim his first loss the previous year. He has now won 11 in a row, with solid wins against Joo Hun Kim and Doniyorbek Khaitaliev, but at 34 it feels his career, which has been stop-start at times, is going to be one that could, and probably should, have been better. As for Ibragimov, he’s unbeaten since being stopped by Obboskhon Yuldashev on debut, but has reeled off 4 low quality wins, the most notable of which being a 6 round decision over the 42 year old Mark Sales. Sadly his wins say little about him, and this should be regarded as a clear leap up in class for him

Also on this card is a brilliant matchup between unbeaten fighters, as Chinese fighter Tuohatasen Sailibieke (3-0, 2) takes on Uzbekistan’s Faryozbek Dustmatov (3-0, 2). Unbeaten 21 year old Sailibieke made his debut in China last year, with his last two bouts taking place on the road including a win in South Korea against Khusniddin Maraimov, who like Dustmatov was an unbeaten Korean based Uzbekistani fighter. Notably the win over Maraimov was the only time Sailibieke has had to go more than 3 rounds, and he only narrowly took the win there, with a split decision. Dustmatov, the younger brother of Hasanboy Dusmatov, Dustmatov is quickly making his mark on the Korean seen, and a win over Sang Heon Oh back in October showed that he has genuine potential, potential that we expect the 20 year old to prove again here.

Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
The main card this coming Sunday is a stacked one form Tokyo, with 4 world title bouts on it, and several bouts on it as Amazon Prime and Teiken Promotions give us one of the best cards of 2024. In fact the day is day 1 of a 2 day event from Teiken and Amazon Prime.

The main event of the card is a mouth watering clash at Bantamweight, as WBA champion Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5) makes his third defence and takes on unbeaten mandatory challenger Seiya Tsutsumi (11-0-2, 8) in a truly brilliant match up. Takuma, the younger brother of Naoya Inoue, is a skilled fighter who has impressed in recent fights, winning his last 7 including notable wins against Shingo Wake, Liborio Solis, Jerwin Ancajas and Sho Ishida. He is still, unfortunately, in the shadow of his bigger brother, but is carving out a solid legacy of his own and has a really under-rated resume. Sadly although a genuine talent Inoue lacks the power of his brother and a lot of his performances, whilst solid, have not been spectacular leading some to believe he is the weak link at 118lbs. As for Tsutsumi the hard hitter from the Kadoebi Gym is one of the top contenders at Bantamweight, having won the Japanese title 2022 and really making the belt his, with 4 defenses over the likes of Jin Minamide, Riku Masuda and Kazuki Anaguchi. Although his reign was solid, arguably the most notable result on his record came before he won the title, when he fought to a draw with Daigo Higa back in 2020. Tsutsumi, in many ways, embodies the Japanese boxing style, with under-rated skills, solid power and incredible determination. He can mix things up, boxing or brawling, but where he really stands out is his will to win, and that should bring the best of of Inoue in what could be a very, very special fight.

The co-feature of the show is mouth watering Flyweight clash, as former unified Light Flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14) moves up in weight to take on former champion Cristofer Rosales (37-6, 22) for the vacant WBC Flyweight title which Rosales did hold back for 8 months back in 2018. Aged 32 Kenshiro is one of the few fighters who truly made a home for himself at 108lbs, becoming a 2-time WBC and 1 time WBA champion there, with wins against Ganigan Lopez, Pedro Guevara, Milan Melindo, Jonathan Taconing, Randy Petalcorin, Masamichi Yabuki, Hiroto Kyoguchi, Anthony Olascuaga, Hekkie Budler and Carlos Canizales, among others. He avenged his only defeat, to Yabuki, and carved out a genuine legacy at Light Flyweight whilst amassing one of the best runs in the division. It’s going to be interesting to see if he can match that success at Flyweight. As for Rosales, who is somehow only 30, the Nicaraguan is a true veteran with 43 fights to his name and with bouts in Nicaragua, the UK, Italy, Japan, the USA and Mexico he's proven to be a road warrior. Sadly for him his most notably success came back in 2018, when he upset Daigo Higa for the WBC title, and saw him make one defense, against Paddy Barnes, before losing the belt to Charlie Edwards. Since then he has gone 9-2 (3) with a loss to Julio Cesar Martinez and a loss to Angel Ayala Lardizabal, whilst his most notable wins since losing the belt coming against Joselito Velazquez and Abraham Medina. Rosales is tough, he comes to fight, has under-rated skills and will be looking to repeat the upset he scored last time he fought in Japan, though in many ways he’s up against a more skilled fighter here than he found in Higa, who had failed to make weight. Given the styles this has the potential to be a real thriller, with Kenshiro often happy to be dragged into a firefight and Rosales having the toughness to stand and trade. A potential instant classic here.

Another Flyweight bout on this show will see WBA champion Seigo Yuri Akui (20-2-1, 11) seek his second defense as he takes on Tha challenger Thananchai Charunphak (25-1, 15), in what could well be a really compelling bout, even if it lacks the name value of the WBC title bout. Akui is a dangerous fighter with under-rated power especially early on, with 10 wins coming in the first 3 rounds, but also someone who is capable of pressing and taking rounds, with under-rated skills, as we saw in his first defense against Taku Kuwabara. He’s not without his flaws, but he’s a very strong and very overlooked fighter who’s only losses have come against Junto Nakatani, early in his career, and Jaysever Abcede, when he suffered a hand injury. He’s had a lot of success without a major backer, and it’s fair to say if he keeps his winning run going he’ll finally get a chance to have a huge fight in Okayama. As for Charunphak, the Thai is a very solid fighter who's only loss came very early in his career, against Phongsaphon Panyakum. Since that loss he has scored 24 wins including notable domestic wins against Wittawas Basapean, Suriyan Satorn, Wicha Phulaikhao and Komgrich Nantapech as well as Filipino fighters Jeny Boy Boca and Roland Jay Biendima and most notable Japanese hopeful Kento Hatanaka. Given the styles of both this could be less exciting than some of the others on the show, but is very unlikely to be dull, with styles that should give us a very solid, technically sound, bout.

The lowest weight to be covered on the card is 108lbs, as we’ll see a bout for the vacant WBO Light Flyweight title. In one corner is Japan’s Shokichi Iwata (13-1, 10), who many feel should actually hold this title following a controversial loss to Jonatan Gonzalez in 2022, whilst his opponent will be Spanish fighter Jairo Noriega (14-0, 3). The talented Iwata has long been groomed for success following an excellent amateur career, he won the JBC title in 2021, unified it with the WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF titles in 2022, and as mentioned many feel he should have won the WBO world title later in 2022. Since his loss to Gonzalez he has shown a bit more of a mean streak and gone 4-0 (4) including a notable win over former world champion Rene Mark Curto. As for Noriega the Spanish fighter is stepping up massively for this bout, though he has scored noteworthy wins over Angel Moreno and Azael Villar, and won European honours showing he's a very capable fighter, though this is a step up in class for him. Notably this will not be his first but outside of Spain, having fought Villar in Nicaragua in March, but it's fair to say it's the biggest stage he's fought on, by far.

Yokohama Budokan, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
A second notable Japanese card, run by former world champion Masayuki Ito and his Treasure Boxing Promotions, is set to feature numerous former world champions in a card that could well have gotten major attention, had it not been staged on the same day as the Ariake Arena event.

The main event has the potential to be the best fight of a hectic weekend as former multi-weight world champion John Riel Casimero (33-4-1, 22) takes on the always fun to watch Saul Sanchez (21-3, 12). Casimero is, at best, an enigma who can be sensational, destructive, and a scintillating fighter to watch or can be passive and do nothing and give away rounds. Amazingly he can often be both in the same fighter. He’s a 4 weight champion who has given up two of those titles due to issues making weight, he’s a road warrior who has picked up wins all across the world, from Argentina to China, UK to South Korea, but has also managed to throw away major opportunities, including potential showdown with Naoya Inoue. Now aged 35 it’s hard to know what he has left to offer, but in fairness it’s always been hard to know what he will offer in any round, never mind fight. As for Sanchez the 27 year old from California, is a must watch fighter, with an aggressive style who really could have an unbeaten record had he had some luck. All 3 of his losses are razor thin, with 2 split decision losses and a majority decision loss. Whilst he lacks in terms of "big wins" he has beaten Arthur Villanueva and Franklin Gonzalez, among others, and gave Jason Moloney a real 50-50 fight back in January. Sadly for Sanchez he does lack power, and this will hold him back, but his style makes him popular and this could well be a thrilling 10 rounder.

Whilst the main event is a tasty match up the most interesting, potentially, will be the co-feature which will be a rubber match between Vince Paras (21-2-1, 15) and former 2-weight world champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (18-2, 12). These two clashed back in 2018, with Kyoguchi taking a clear win over Paras to retain the IBF Minimumweight title. The two men would fight again this past May, with Paras taking a much questioned decision over Kyoguchi, who made it clear that he didn't agree with the decision and felt the result was a joke. Now we get a rubber match with both men fully aware a win here likely puts them on the verge of a world title fight in a Flyweight division that, right now, is wide open. We suspect Kyoguchi will fight with the intention of stopping Paras, after the result in May, but Paras is no push over and the aggression of Kyoguchi might come back to haunt him here, much like his passivity at times did in their May contest.

Another former world champion on this show is Yukinori Oguni (21-2-3, 9) who faces Fillipus Nghitumbwa (14-2, 12) in a battle between two former Casimero opponents. Oguni is a former IBF Super Bantamweight champion who is now coming to the end of his career, at the age of 36 and following a previous retirement, though still has plenty of skills and tricks up his sleeve. He is a long way removed from the fighter who beat Yonatan Guzman Pena in 2016, but is still an awkward fighter who can cause problems for much younger fighters. Notably he is unbeaten since 2017, when he was stopped by Ryosuke Iwasa, but he has only gone 2-0-2 since that bout more than 7 years ago, including a technical draw with Casimero. As for Nghitumbwa, he’s a 28 year old from Namibia who lost on debut, in September 2017, and lost to Casimero last year, in his only bout outside of his homeland. As for wins the most notable names that Nghitumbwa has beaten are Korean fighter DeKang Wang and Jonas Matheus, who he has beaten twice after losing on debut against. There is little on his record, but he did give Casimero a real fight last year and could be too hungry for the faded Oguni.

One other former world champion on this card is former WBO Minimumweight champion Masataka Taniguchi (18-4, 12), who faces former WBA “interim” champion Pai Pharob (38-5, 29). On paper, and on paper alone, this looks a really good match up pitting two former world level fighters against each other with each battling for another chance at the top. In reality however it’s hard to see it as anything other than a chance for Taniguchi to get some career momentum going as he looks for a third straight win since losing the WBO world title. Aged 30 he still has ambition to reclaim gold whilst the Thai visitor is 41 years old has lost 4 of his last 8, and 5 of his last 11, and is 0-3 outside of Thailand. And the visitor took this bout on about 2 weeks notice. 

Dongdaemungu Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea
As well as the action in Japan we also have a pretty noteworthy show in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

The main event will be a 12 rounder between unbeaten fighters as Sirochbek Ismoilov (6-0, 3) and Ji Sub Oh (8-0-1, 4) put their 0’s on the line. Ismoilov, one of many Korean based Uzbekistan born fighters on this show, is 23 years old and has had his entire pro-career, so far, in South Korea. His competition has been rather limited, to say the least, however he does have a notable win over Juanito Paredes back in August for the KBM Lightweight title. He’s clearly early in his career but has shown enough to get excited about and could well be one of the fighters on this card with the tools to make a big name for himself in the future. Oh on the other hand is just 21  made his debut in 2022 and although he looks good on paper, this will be only the second time he has faced a fighter with a winning record, the other being Hyung Shin Chae back in 2022. Oh is the naturally bigger fighter, fighting mostly at Welterweight but is clearly stepping up to take on his most notable opponent to date.

Another good looking and well matched bout will pit Shakhzodbek Sharobiddinov (6-2, 2) against Yang Ji Kim (7-1, 4). The 24 year old Sharobiddinov is a Korean based Uzbekistani fighter who has won his last 4 in a row, including wins over Dong Kwan Lee and Conrado Tanamor, and it's going to be interesting to see what he can do on the Korean scene going forward. Kim on the other hand was beaten on debut, back in 2017, and has had a very stop-start career since then, though has won 7 in a row including one against experienced Filipino Gerpaul Valero. This is an interesting bout on paper and one where both will be coming into the bout looking to continue their unbeaten run.

Arguably the most notable bout on this show will see Korean fighter Sang Heon Oh (9-3-1, 6) take on Faryozbek Dusmatov (2-0, 2). Sang is a 24 year old with mixed results who showed his toughness in March, when he lost a decision to Katsuya Fukui, and recently scored a notable win over Ranelio Quizo. Although no world beater he is tough and his only stoppage came in the 10th round against Runqi Zhou, with the men subsequently fighting to a 10 round draw in a rematch. It is, however, Dusmatov who is the interesting part of this fighter with the former amateur fighter being the younger brother of Hasanboy Dusmatov, and the 20 year old Korean based Uzbekistani fighter is tipped as a major one to watch over the coming decade. It’s still very early to get too excited about him, but this is a solid step up in class, and a win here would certainly help put him on the map, at least regionally, at this early stage.

Antipas Gymnasium, Antipas, Cotabato (del Norte), Philippines
The least notable of the Asian shows comes from the Philippines, where we see some unbeaten prospects look to continue their successful starts.

One of the unbeaten men is Nathaniel Dorona (5-0, 2), who competes in his second 8 rounder as he takes onThai visitor Thani Narinram (3-7), in what is really just another match up to pad Dorona’s record. The Thai has been stopped in 5 of his 7 losses, appears to have no power, and whilst he has fought some good competition he isn’t expected to do much more than be a body here. As for Dorona, questions have to begin regarding when will he began to step up his competition

In a much better looking bout we’re expecting to see fireworks as Angelou Lofranco (3-0, 3) faces Mohaleden Kalibo (2-0, 2). Thai really is anticipated to be a shoot out, and between them they have bever seen round 3, with their combined 5 wins coming in 7 rounds. Don’t blink with this one. Sadly it is a low level fight, and it’s hard to know much about either man, but we don’t expect either to want to wait around in what could be a very fun, short, action packed fight.