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Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines
The first post-Christmas show in the Philippines takes place this coming Friday from Isulan and whilst it’s not the best card, it does have some noteworthy bouts on it. On paper the best of the 3 noteworthy bouts will see former world title challenger Jayson Mama (20-2, 10) look to bounce back from his disappointing, and controversial, loss in Puerto Rico in October against Juan Carlos Camacho, as he takes on domestic foe Michael Bravo (14-5, 7). Mama is best known internationally for his losses to Sunny Edwards and Camacho, and despite those losses he remains a genuine contender at 112lbs, and will likely be in the mix for a regional if not world title next year. To end the year it seems he and his team have decided to get him a work out against a capable domestic level talent. Bravo, although far from world class, has proven his ability on the domestic scene, running Reymart Gaballo close in 2023, and going 11 rounds with Esneth Domingo. He will be expected to take Mama rounds, and although he has lost 4 of his last 5, and 2 of those by stoppage, he does tend to fight to win, and won't just be in there to roll over and give Mama an easy win to end the year. The once beaten RV Deniega (10-1, 6) looks to continue his rebuild following a 2023 loss to Saul Sanchez, as he takes on Jelo Bacalso (6-6-2, 4). The talented Deniega, who beat the under-rate dAdrian Lerasan last time out, is only 25 and has proven himself a very capable fighter on the Filipino domestic scene, with wins against the likes of Jeny Boy Boca, Justine Darap, Lerasan, and the well past his best version of Sonny Boy Jaro. Whilst the loss to Sanchez showed he wasn’t world class, and it’s hard to imagine him reaching those heights, he is certainly a solid fighter capable of being a fixture on the regional scene. As for Bacalso he's a live under-dog, who started his career 2-4-2, after 8 bouts, but is 4-2 in his last 6 Sadly however his losses, have come every time he's faced someone with some real ability, including a loss in September to Gabriel Santisima, who stopped him in 2 rounds. A bit of a soft one for Deniega, but he has been out of the ring since March and we’re glad to see him back in action. The other of the three notable bouts on this show will see the very good Joey Canoy (22-5-2-1, 14) look to score his 3rd win in less than 6 months as he takes on Ariston Aton (9-12-1, 5), in what feels very much like a stay busy for Canoy ahead of something bigger in the new year. The 31 year old dubbed "The Baby Face" is unbeaten in his last 7, has stopped his last 5, including Kenichi Horikawa and Jonathan Refugio, and really should be in the mix for a regional title fight in the new year. Despite not being well known internationally he has scored notable wins over the likes of Toto Landero and Melvin Jerusalem,. As for Aton, the 24 year old has proven to be durable, with only 3 stoppage losses, but is now 5 years removed from a win and is now on a winless run of 12 bouts. Aton should take Canoy some rounds, but not be much of a test for someone with the ability to mix at world level. Baluan Sholak Sports Palace, Almaty, Kazakhstan As well as the action in the Philippines there is also a show in Kazakhstan. Sadly the show is a pretty weak one, with the most notable bout on it being yet another case of a top former amateur wasting their career, rather than being moved towards the types of tests their ability has long deserved. Potentially in fact aging themselves out of top professional bouts. The fighter in question is unbeaten Kazakh Heavyweight Ivan Dychko (14-0, 13), who is now 34 and has been a professional for more than 7 years, taking on Vitaly Kudukhov (7-2, 3). Dychko had turned with a lot of expectation. He had been a fantastic amateur, winning bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and being a 2-time World Amateur Championships silver medal winner, whilst also picking up a bronze in the competition. He was big, fast, heavy handed, highly skilled, good on his feet, and seemed to have all the tools to be fast tracked. Instead however his career has progressed at the pace of molasses, with various out of the ring issues, fights falling through and a lack of a major promoter backing him. Sadly for Dychko and his fans, Kudukhov is a relative nothing opponent for the big Kazakh, especially given that Kudukhov has lost 2 of his last 3. The only potential advantage Dychko will get from this is some ring time with someone who has never been stopped, but has also not faced a notable fighter since a 2021 fight with a 49 year old Guillermo Jones, which Kudukhov won over 8 rounds.
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 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
The big bout to feature an Asian fighter this coming Saturday comes from Wales as IBF Super Featherweight champion Kenichi Ogawa (26-1-1-1, 18) defends his title against unbeaten Welsh challenger Joe Cordina (14-0, 8), in what will be Ogawa's first defense since winning the belt late last year. The hard hitting Ogawa is regarded by many as a weak champion at 130lbs, but his win over Azinga Fuzile last year showed his class and his power, and he'll be looking to replicate that form here and become the first ever Japanese fighter to successfully defend a world title in Europe. As for Cordina, a former British amateur stand out, this bout has a feel of now or never for him, and it's hard to imagine him getting another world title shot if he comes up short here. As for the bout it will be Ogawa's power against the speed and skills of Cordina, which should make for a very interesting match up. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Ogawa takes on Cordina in first defense! Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Ogawa isn't the only Japanese fighter in action, and in fact over in Tokyo we get the next show under the Dynamic Glove banner. The card isn't the biggest or best, but there are two notable bouts on the show. The main event of the card will see former world title challenger Takeshi Inoue (17-2-1, 10) take on Nath Nwachukwu (7-2-2, 3), in what is the second bout between the two men. These two clashed in 2020, with Inoue taking a wide decision win, but since then both men have been some what inactive, with Inoue losing to Tim Tszyu last year, and Nwachukwu beating Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa and losing to Wade Ryan. Despite the inactivity of the two men their styles should gel and we should have a pretty fan friendly bout, as both look to secure something bigger and better later in the year. In a really promising chief support bout we'll see former notable amateurs clash as Jun Ikegawa (2-0-1) and Issei Ochiai (3-0, 2) put their unbeaten records on the line in a mouth watering 8 rounder. Ikegawa debuted last year and immediately looked like a genuine talent, but someone with a style that needed major changes if he was to become a star in the professional ranks. We suspect we'll see the best of him here in what is his most dangerous bout to date. As for Ochiai, he made his debut in 2019 as a highly touted teenager and although he filed to really shine in his debut, he has impressed since and there is big hope for the unbeaten 21 year old. This promises a lot, and the winner will almost certainly be fast tracked to some sort of title fight in the next 12 to 18 months. Daegu, South Korea Staying in Asia, though moving over to South Korea, we're set for a lower level card headlined by a minor title fight. That minor title fight will see Korean veteran Hee Jung Yuh (24-3, 12) battle against limited Thai foe Phannaluk Kongsang (8-8-1, 5), with Yuh defending her WBC International Female Super Flyweight title. The 42 year old Yuh has long been one of the more notable Korean fighters out there, but aside from her 2015 loss to Naoko Fujioka she hasn't really been willing to test herself against the better fighters out there, and that's the case again here as Kongsang really shouldn't be in the ring with her. The Thai challenger has won her last 3, but she has struggled when she's fought outside of Thailand, and we suspect she'll struggle again here, despite being the much, much younger fighter. Expo Five Dome, Louisville, Kentucky, USA Another fighter who's scheduled to fight, though knowing how his career has gone so far will likely see his bout fall through, is Ivan Dychko (11-0, 11). The unbeaten Kazakh Heavyweight hopeful has promised much since turning professional in 2016, following a brilliant amateur career, though has sadly done very little as a professional fighting against awful competition and proving next to nothing in the professional ranks since his September 2017 debut. Now aged 31 it really is time for Dychko and his team to get serious and start moving him forward with his career, before he ages his way out of possible contention, before even even getting there. Sadly for this scheduled bout, his opponent hasn't been named at the time of writing.  Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan
The most notable card this coming Saturday for us is in Kazakhstan, where we see several promising Kazakh fighters in action. Sadly the bouts aren't the most attractive, but they do feature some noteworthy and promising fighters in action. In one of the most notable bouts on the show the unbeaten Daniyar Yeleussinov (10-0, 6) will take on Juan Hernan Leal (15-1, 4), who appears to have been a late replacement for former world title challenger Dante Jardon (34-7, 25), in a bout for the IBF Welterweight title. The talented Yeleussinov, who won a gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, is a man who should have been pushed hard by Matchroom over the last few years, but was really let down by Eddie Hearn and co. who instead pushed Josh Kelly as their big Welterweight hopeful. Yeleussinov may not be a threat to the divisional elite, but he's a very talented fighter who has shown a lot of development in recent bouts and we suspect he's going to try and make an example of Leal. As for Leal this will be his 4th bout of 2021, but his first bout outside of the South America, and a win here would be among his best. Another fighter who was let down by his promoter, albeit not Matchroom this time, is Ivan Dychko (10-0, 10) who should have been well and and truly in the world title mix by now. Sadly Dychko's career has been among the most frustrating of any fighter in the sport, and it's been stop-start with more bouts being cancelled than actually going ahead. Here he's looking to shake some ring rust and score a win over a limited, but well known, name as he takes on the huge Aleksandr Ustinov (36-5-1, 27). This should be a straight forward win for Dychko who needs better fights in the new year. Thankfully this will be his second fight of 2021, and hopefully will be the final stay busy before taking on a contender level fighter in the new year. Another unbeaten Kazakh hopeful on this card is Zhankosh Turarov (24-0, 17), who fights for the first time since July 2019. The talented Turarov, who's sadly had major issues with activity since 2017, will be up against 40 year old Egyptian fighter Abdumonem Said (22-1-1, 11). On paper this looks like an interesting match up, but Said is stepping up massively, has little on his record to suggest he can test Turarov, and is unlikely to last the distance with the Kazakh. Bangkok, Thailand Over in Thailand we're expecting a small card, featuring a top teenager in one bout, and a 50 year old in another, as the wild west of boxing shows just how odd the sport can be at times. The talented teenager is 17 year old Thai Phenom Phoobadin Yoohanngoh (11-0, 6) who will be looking to defend his WBA Asia Light Welterweight title as he takes on Filipino challenger Joepher Montano (11-5-2, 10). The talented Phoobadin came into the year with a lot of momentum, but inactivity has slowed his rise and allowed him to physically mature without fighting, which may actually serve him well. As for Montano the Filipino is no push over, but he has been beaten in 3 of his last 5, including a loss to Atchariya Wirojanasunobol, who was stopped by Phoobadin last year. This should be a straight forward win for Phoobadin, but it's still nice to see him in the ring again before 2021 ends. The 50 year old on this card is Thai based British female fighter Denise Castle (3-2, 3) who will be up against Filipino Norj Guro (11-7-1, 4). Sadly Castle, who was a very good Muay Thai fighter, is well past her best and has hardly been active as a boxing since making her debut in 2014. Guro, although a long, long way from a major, is only 31 and will be hungry to continue a run of 4 straight wins. We don't expect this to be a great bout, but it's still very interesting to see a 50 year old in action. Bekasi, Indonesia We also get a small card in Indonesia, where fans will get a small domestic card with a couple of UBO title bouts. One of those title bouts will be at Light Flyweight, as Silem Serang (18-22-3, 2) faces off with Frengky Rohi (7-11-1, 3) for the vacant title. This is a rubber match between the two men, with Rohi taking the honours in their first bout, back in 2017, before Serang got revenge earlier this year. Coming in Serang has won his last 3, and is unbeaten in Indonesia since 2017! Rohi on the other hand typically lost on the road, but is 5-11 on his last 16 bouts and has no momentum at all coming into this one. The other title fight will see Stevie Ongen Ferdinandus (33-17-1, 19) take on a yet to be announced opponent for the UBO title at 154lbs. Despite his scratchy record Ferdinandus is enjoying a good run of form, winning his last 6 bouts, and he has rebuilt well since being blasted in a round by Tim Tszyu back in 2018. Sadly with no opponent named for this bout it's hard to imagine him facing anyone of any real quality. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan In Japan we get a show in Osaka, albeit a small show that is entirely focused on female boxing with 5 bouts in total. Sadly this isn't a big show, but it's still good to see the domestic Japanese female seen laying down it's foundations for the next generation. The main event of the card will see 29 year old Kaoru Iga (4-2-1) battle against 25 year old Sarasa Ichimura (4-8-1), in a bout between two JBC ranked fighters. Iga is ranked #5 at Atomweight, and is the smaller fighter, whilst Ichimura is ranked #4 at Minimumweight. The winner of this would likely be on the verge of a Japanese title fight next year, with the two women having this bout at 105lbs Another bout worthy of some attention on this card is the debut of Hinami Yanai (0-0), who went 20-6 (7) in the amateurs and is making her debut in a 6 rounder against JBC ranked #5 female Flyweight Michiko Abiru (3-5, 1). On paper Abiru doesn't look too testing, but it's clear that Yanai and her team, the Shinsei gym, are going to look to move her quickly, like they did with Kasumi Saeki, and a win here could be followed by a Japanese title fight next year, and potentially world title fights as early as 2023. Abiru should provide a test, but one that Yanai should pass with relative ease. A third bout worthy of some attention is the one 4 rounder on the card, which will feature Sumire Yamanaka (3-0), the younger sister of former world champion Ryuya Yamanaka. The talented 20 year old southpaw will be up against the experienced Natsuki Tarui (4-7-2) in what is an intelligent step up in class for Yamanaka. This is the first time she's taken on someone with some real experience and we should see this as a genuine developmental fight for her. Ayub Stadium, Quetta, Pakistan We also get a small card in Pakistan, where boxing is still in it's formative years. The one standout bout on this card is one of the most interesting Pakistani domestic bouts we'll see as the unbeaten pairing of Akmal Khan (3-0, 1) and Tariq Ahmadi (7-0, 4) face off. These two are both young, both are 21, promising, and are looking to make a name for themselves domestically. They are, clearly, not going to be racing away to world title fights or anything like that, but it's still great to see this generation of Pakistani fighters slowly helping create a boxing scene there, and given the age of these two it could end up being a great Featherweight rivalry for the country.  Although this coming Saturday isn't a huge day, it is a busy day with a lot going on featuring fighters from Asia. We have a notable card in Kazakhstan, Rookie of the Year action in Japan, and even more action to talk about!
Almaty, Kazakhstan The big card for us comes from Almaty and is an MTK show which will be available worldwide. The show doesn't have any bona fide stars on it, but does have a lot of exciting prospects featured, as they all look to move their career forward and move on to bigger and better things. The most promising of the hopefuls on this show is Tursynbay Kulakhmet (3-0, 2) , who looks for win #4 as he takes on the 38 year old Aleksei Evchenko (19-14-2, 8), who appears to have been a late replacement for Stanyslav Skorokhod (20-2, 17). Although Evchenko looks like a massive downgrade from Skorokhod the Russian is a real tough guy, who has only been stopped once in his 14 losses, and is less than a year removed from a notable upset win over Viktor Plotnikov and a draw against Asinia Byfield. For a fourth pro bout this isn't terrible for Kulakhmet, who really does need rounds, rather than quick blow outs. Another of the highly touted Kazakh's on this card is Sultan Zaurbek (10-0, 7), who is in a very interesting match up as he takes on Scotland's Ronnie Clark (21-4-2, 10), in what could be the bout of the show Clark is a rough around the edges fighter who comes to have a war and that's a style we think could get the best out of Zaurbek, who seems to fight within himself a bit too much. Not only is this a genuinely interesting contest but there's also real meaning to it, with the WBO European title being on the line, and a potential high WBO world ranking. One of the really talented youngsters on this show is the aggressive and exciting Talgat Shayken (4-0, 2), who is facing 29 year old Russian Alexander Sharonov (12-5-2, 6). Shayken has looked like a fantastic, aggressive, strong and imposing force in the ring, who is improving with every fight. But this is a major step up in class and Sharonov is no push over. In fact Shayken will need to improve further from his last bout if he's to take a win here against a solid and tough fighter looking to prove a point. The card is littered with other unbeaten Kazakh hopefuls, but one name really stands out and that is former amateur star Ivan Dychko (9-0, 9), who returns after close 2 years of inactivity, as he takes on veteran Denis Bakhtov (39-18, 26). Dychko's career, which promised so much when he turned professional, has failed to really come alive, but fingers crossed a win here against the much older and short Bakhtov can kick start things. He's too good to be inactive and really does need someone to take his career by the scruff of the neck and push him into meaningful fights Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, United Kingdom Over in London we'll see the highly ranked Zach Parker (20-0, 14) take on 41 year old Uzbekistani fighter Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10). Parker, who is on the verge of a world title fight after a string of solid performances, will enter this bout as a huge favourite but Khusanov is no push over and will travel to win. We suspect youth will play a major factor here, but Khusanov does have the tools to make Parker work hard for a win Tegelbruket, Orebro, Sweden Over in Sweden Swedish based Azeri born fighter Samo Jangirov (5-2-1, 1) battles against Marcus Alberts (6-6-1, 2) in a Swedish Cruiserweight title bout, and the third bout between the two men for this title! Jangirov won the belt with a 6 round decision over Alberts in 2019, retain the title with an 8 round decision last year, and now looks for his second defense here. Sadly the limitations of Swedish domestic scene are clearly a problem here, but it's nice to see some personal competition between these two men. Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan Over in Japan we actually have two different shows at the Shinjuku FACE, both East Japan Rookie of the Year shows. The earlier of the two, begins at mid day and has 8 bouts scheduled for it. They include 2 all debutant bouts as Daichi Akahori (0-0) and Hayato Soita (0-0) and Taiga Ito (0-0) and Gensai Ito (0-0), all look to begin their careers with wins and the chance to advance their careers. With the Rookie of the Year these 4 men all be looking to make a name for themselves over the next 7 months or so and we always love all debut bouts. Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan The second show at the Shinjuku FACE is at 6PM and is set to have 6 bouts on it, with just a single all debut clash between Junya Naka (0-0) and Ryota Funabashi (0-0), who face off in a Bantamweight bout. Although the all debutant bouts are lacking here we do like the look of two other bouts. One of those is a clash between the unbeaten pairing of Shohei Fuchida (1-0, 1) and Shogo Namiki (2-0-1, 1), who fight at Lightweight. Fuchida has only fought once, and that was more than 5 years ago, however the 27 year old does seem determined to make the most of things now he's back. Namiki on the other hand will be looking for his third win in 2021, in what could be a very explosive bout. The other will see Tatsuya Kawaguchi (1-2-1) take on the heavy handed Shori Umezu (3-0, 3), who should be regarded as a contender for the All Japan Rookie crown. Umezu looks destructive and heavy handed and should among the favourites for the tournament, certainly one to keep an eye on.  Osaka, Japan
The big show of the day this coming Friday is Osaka where Teiken put in a title triple header, featuring two world title bouts. The main event of this card is the rematch between American Rob Brant (25-1, 17) and Japanese star Ryota Murata (14-2, 11), with Brant looking to make his second defense of the WBA Regular Middleweight title, a title he took from Murata last year. This is a really tough bout for Murata, who will know another loss to Brant likely ends his career, whilst a win could open up a huge opportunity for a bout in a Japanese dome at the end of the year. For Murata this is a must win, whilst for Brant it's a bout he is expected to win, especially given how easily he beat Murata the first time around. A full preview of this bout is available here Brant and Murata go again, but will the outcome be any different? The other world title bout on the card will see WBC Light Flyweight champion Kenshiro (15-0, 8) defending his title against mandatory challenger Jonathan Taconing (28-33-1, 11). The unbeaten champion will be seeking his 6th defense and a chance to take a huge step towards a potential unification bout with Hiroto Kyoguchi at the end of the year, a bout both men have spoken about. Although Kenshiro is in great form we expect Taconing to ask questions of the champion we've never seen Kenshiro answer, and Taconing poses a real threat as a hard hitting and teak tough southpaw. Taconing can be out boxed, but he is a very dangerous threat to Kenshiro. Our preview of this show down is here Kenshiro takes on hard hitting Filipino challenger Taconing! The third title bout on this card will see Filipino visitor Joe Noynay (17-2-1, 6) look to record his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title, as he takes on 2012 Olympic bronze medal winner Satoshi Shimizu (8-0, 8). The bout sees Noynay return to Japan following his impressive title win over Kosuke Saka whilst Shimizu moves up in weight and tests the water at Super Featherweight. A full in depth preview of this bout can be read here Noynay takes on hard hitting Shimizu in regional title defense! Also on this card is touted prospect Shokichi Iwata (2-0, 1) who looks to extend his perfect start as he battles 23 year old Filipino Paolo Sy (6-3-1, 3). Iwata was a fabulous amateur, scoring wins against the likes of Kosei Tanaka and Takuma Inoue among others, and has shown a lot of promise already, but this looks like his stiffest test so far. Sy is no world beater in the making but should ask some questions of Iwata. Tokyo, Japan As well as the show in Osaka there is also a good one in Tokyo as we get a female world title fight and an interesting cross roads fight. The female world title fight sees the great Naoko Fujioka (18-2, 7) defending her WBA female Flyweight title against veteran Tenkai Tsunami (26-12, 15), who is looking to become a 3 weight champion her self. Fujioka is among the few true female legends of boxing, having won world titles from Minimumweight to Bantamweight, but she's now at an advanced age and we wonder how long she can keep putting on top performances. On the other hand Tsunami has had an incredibly hard career, and that will catch up with her sooner or later. Our preview of this female clash can be read here Fujioka and Tsunami meet in clash for WBA crown! In a really good looking support bout we'll see veteran Akihiro Kondo (31-8-1, 18) take on youngster Andy Hiraoka (13-0, 9). The tough Kondo, a former world title challenger, was last seen being stopped by Downua Ruawaiking in an IBF world title eliminator and he will be desperate to put that loss behind him and pick up a win here. For Hiraoka this is a great opportunity to get himself a major win and move towards a major title fight, as he looks to add to the Japanese Youth title he won in 2017. Our preview for this bout can be read here Kondo looks to bounce back whilst Hiraoka looks for big win Also on this card is Seiryu Toshikawa (10-5, 6), who is criminally under-rated. Despite not having a great record Toshikawa is a very talented 23 year old who is looking to bounce back from a split decision loss to Shawn Oda in late 2018. His opponent will be Filipino puncher Junny Salogaol (14-16-5, 13), a late replacement though a man who was training for a now cancelled fight in Japan in late June. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia From Japan to Saudi Arabia as we see boxing join the WWE in an the attempt of becoming part of the sporting propaganda of the Saudi government. Whilst this card isn't one we'll be focusing a lot on, especially given the action in Japan, it is still a show which will get a lot of attention, especially in the West. The main event will see Amir Khan (33-5, 20) take on Billy Dib (45-5-0-2, 26) in a match that was put together on about 3 weeks notice. Originally Khan was going to Indian face Neeraj Goyat (11-3-2, 2) in a bout being sold on the Indian vs Pakistan rivalry, and was originally set to be for the WBC Pearl title. Goyat suffered an injury in a car accident weeks before the fight and Dib, a former Featherweight world champion, moved up the card to fill the position left by Goyat. Originally Dib was to face Indonesian fighter Carlos Lopez, so he has clearly landed a much better pay day here. Sadly the WBC Pearl title will no longer be on the line, and the bout will instead be for the WBC International Welterweight crown. A more interesting bout on this card, at least terms of competitiveness, will see unbeaten and exciting Filipino Dave Penalosa (15-0, 11) take on South African foe Lerato Dlamini (12-1, 6) for the WBC Silver Featherweight title. This is a big step up for Penalosa who hasn't really scored a win of note. On the other hand the South African holds a really notable win over Simpiwe Vetyeka from 2017 and will feel that that bout will have prepared him for a bout like this against Penalosa. Others on this card include Uzbek hopeful Shakhobidin Zoirov (2-0, 2), who has been very impressive in his professional career so far. Florida, USA All the way over in Florida we'll get the chance to see a couple of unbeaten Kazakh fighters attempt to continue their run onwards and upwards. The more notable of the two is Heavyweight hopeful Ivan Dychko (8-0, 8), who takes on Nate Heaven (9-2, 7). The talented, yet awful badly promoted Dychko, was originally pencilled in to fight Raphael Zumbano (39-16-1, 31) though Zumbano was later replaced by Heaven, who should pose of a test. Sadly for Dychko, a former amateur star, his competition has been awful and his activity has been less than great, and he's falling a long way behind some of his amateur contemporaries, such as Filip Hrgovic, Tony Yoka and Joe Joyce. If he stops Heaven, as expected, it's then a must for Dychko to step up in class. The other Kazakh on this card is Mussa Tursyngaliyev (9-0, 6), who is pencilled in for a major step up in class as he takes on former world title challenger Ricardo Nunez (29-9, 23). On paper this looks a really tough match up for the unbeaten Tursyngaliyev however it should be noted that Nunez had his best wins down at Flyweight and Super Flyweight, and Tursyngaliyev is at Featherweight. Natural size difference will likely be the key between these two here.  Tokyo, Japan
In Tokyo this coming Friday we get a wonderful card with a couple of title fighters and several very interesting under-card bouts. If you're a fan of the Japanese, or Asian scene in general, this card deserves your attention, even if it's not a particularly huge one in terms of names. It's one that has quality match ups, rather than big name fighters. The main event will see OPBF Bantamweight champion Keita Kurihara (13-5, 11) make his first defense, following his controversial title win in December against Yuki Strong Kobayashi. The hard hitting, and incredibly fun to watch, Kurihara will take on former world title challenger Warlito Parrenas (26-9-1, 23). For those who haven't seen Kurihara he's aggressive, very heavy handed and always worth watching. Parrenas, in his prime, was very similar, though the now Japanese based Filipino has aged significantly from his pomp and is certainly heading towards last chance saloon. If Parrenas can roll back the clock we could have a FOTY contender on our hands here. A full preview of this bout is available here Kurihara and Parrenas meet in OPBF title bout! The other title fight on this card will see Japanese Light Middleweight champion Nobuyuki Shindo (20-4-2, 8) defending his title against mandatory challenger Hironobu Matsunaga (14-1, 8), in what is Shindo's second defense of the title. Shindo won the title in 2018 though suffered an injury in that win, leading to an interim title being created and Shindo then facing Akinori Watanabe in a thriller in December. Matsunaga on the other hand has earned his title shot thanks to a win over Koshinmaru Saito, in what was his 8th straight victory. Shindo is a tall, rangy boxer whilst Matsunaga is much shorter, and how that dynamic comes into play will be really interesting here. A preview of this bout is available here Shindo takes on mandatory challenger Matsunaga This isn't just a top heavy card, but also one with good supporting bouts. On paper the best of those is Bantamweight bout between Matcha Nakagawa (13-1-1, 5) and Kai Chiba (10-1, 7). Both of these men are in their mid-twenties and both will know a win here pushes them to verge of a title fight. With both having just a single loss it's clear that both men will be looking to pick up a win here, and given their contrasting styles we're expecting a really compelling fight. Another intriguing under-card fight will see the popular Joe Tanooka (15-6-4, 1) battle against Naoto Mizutani (5-6-1, 2). Tanooka is the clear favourite, but has lost 3 of his last 4 and desperately needs a win to remain relevant. He's not been matched softly, but too many losses and he will lose some of the fans that have been with him since his 2013 Rookie of the year campaign, where he reached the All Japan final. It's worth noting that Mizutani has also lost 3 of his last 4, but gave a very good test to Fumiya Fuse in February. Mizutani will be coming in to this lookign for an upset, like the one he got in September against Mirai Imagawa. One more meaningful match up will see former title challengers collide. In one corner is former Japanese Lightweight title challenger Masaki Saito (15-13-6, 5) whilst the other will feature former OPBF Featherweight title challenger Ryuto Araya (12-7-1, 4. The men are meeting at a catch weight, around 133lbs, and both will know that a loss here could finish their hopes of getting another shot at a belt. Miami, USA One other fighter pencilled in to fight on Friday is Kazakh Heavyweight hopeful Ivan Dychko (7-0, 7), who takes on 48 year old American Ray Austin (29-9-4, 18) in Miami. This will be Dychko's first bout since beating Maurice Harris back in July 2018 and if we're being honest it's a truly disappointing bout for his return. The Kazakh should be much, much further along with his career by now, but his team really have dropped the ball massively with him and this bout is further proof of that.  This Saturday is a huge one for Asian fight fans with notable bouts taking place on 3 different continents.
New Jersey, USA The biggest card for us is North America where we see a headlining bout between two established fighters and get a supporting card featuring major Central Asian prospects. The card is headlined by Dmitry Bivol (14-0, 11)defending his WBA Light Heavyweight title against veteran Jean Pascal (33-5-1-1, 20). The talented Bivol has been busy this year with wins against Sullivan Barrera and Isaac Chilemba and a win over Pascal would see him ending a good year with a big name on his record, albeit a faded force in Pascal. The 36 year old Pascal is well beyond his best, but was competitive with Eleider Alvarez last year and the hope will be for Bivol and Alvarez to face off in 2019. A prime Pascal would have given Bivol a real test, but he's now little more than a name. An in depth preview of this bout can be read here - Can Bivol over-come Pascal in one of the final HBO shows? One of the prospects on this card is Uzbek sensation Murodjon Akhmadaliev (4-0, 3), who will be looking to make his first defense of the WBA Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight title. The unbeaten Akhmadaliev was a former amateur stand out will be up against American foe Isaac Zarate (16-3-3, 2) , who comes into this bout on the back of a 5 fight unbeaten run including wins over Carlos Carlson and Horacio Garcia. This is a good step up for the Uzbek, who's is set to have his fight televised on HBO, and hopefully bigger and better opportunities will come his way in 2019. One of the other major prospects on this card is the debuting Israil Madrimov (0-0), who looks to instantly announce himself as one to watch, as he takes on Vladimir Hernandez (10-2, 6) in a 10 rounder, on debut. The highly regarded Madrimov is tipped to be a major success, and it seems clear that his team have big expectations for him, putting him in such a tough bout to begin his career. Hernandez might not be a major name but he's a very solid opponent for a debut, and has only lost a couple of close decisions, to Humberto Velazco Torres and Adrian Luna Flores. Not only has Hernandez been competitive with good opponents, but he has scored decent wins over Elco Garcia and Danny Valdivia. This is a serious debut. Another prospect on this card is 2016 Olympic silver medal winner Shakhram Giyasov (5-0, 4), who will be up against the very experienced Miguel Zamudio (41-11-1, 25). The unbeaten Giyasov has been very impressive this year, beating good opponents like Gabor Gorbics, Albert Mensah and Julio Laguna, defeating Laguna at Wembley on a massive international card. Zamudio is a 27 year old Mexican veteran, who debuted back in 2009 and has been ultra-active. Despite being active Zamudio has lost to the notable opponents he's faced, such as Jose Zepeda, Sharif Bogere and Will Tomlinson. Kazakh Heavyweight Ivan Dychko (7-0, 7) was also scheduled to be on this card, though was pulled in the weeks leading up to the show, without a reason being given. Monte Carlo, Monaco Another international card with notable action comes from Monaco, where we get a couple bouts involving Asian fighters. A second unbeaten Chinese fighter on this card is Meng Fanlong (13-0, 8) who goes up against popular Englishman Frank Buglioni (22-3-1, 16). The bout will be Fanlong's first defense of the IBF Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight title, a title he won in October 2017 when he defeated Ammanuel Danso. The Chinese fighter has looked good at times, but has been shown to have a less than amazing chin and although Buglioni is not a world beater, he does have respectable power. If Buglioni lands clean this could be a night to forget for Fanlong, who will be making his Euroipean debut. Another Olympic medal winner on this card will be 2016 gold medal winner Daniyar Yeleussinov (4-0, 2) of Kazakhstan. The 2016 Olympic champion will be battling against Nicaraguan Marcos Mojica (16-2-2, 12) and this is another good platform for Yeleussinov to shine on, as he did last time out, when he stopped Matt Doherty. If Yeleussinov can continue to develop his style he could become a star, but there is still a long way for him to go. Mojica is the under-dog, but is a live under-dog here. We were also hoping to see unbeaten Chinese hopeful Zhang Zhilei (20-0, 16) take on veteran Alexander Ustinov (34-2, 25), but that bout was cancelled at late notice due to Zhilei having visa issues in the weeks running up to the fight. Cebu, Philippines Despite the notable action in the US and Monaco there is actually a stacked card in the Philippines, courtesy of ALA Promotions who are putting on a show with several WBO affiliated titles. One of those title bouts will feature the hard hitting Jeo Santisima (16-2, 14) making his first defense of the WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Mexican visitor Victor Uriel Lopez (13-6-1, 6). The champion won the title earlier this year, when he stopped Yodsingdaeng Jor Chaijinda and this should be a good defense against a fighter who has proven he can fight on the road. Lopez first came to our attention in 2016, when he upset Ryo Matsumoto, and despite a loss to Matsumoto in a rematch he has remained relevant, with a big win this past August against Antonio Tostado. We're expecting an interesting bout here. Another title bout on this card will see the once beaten Albert Pagara (30-1, 21) make his first defense of the WBO Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Ghanaian puncher George Krampah (14-3, 12). On paper this looks dangerous for Pagara, but the visitor has been stopped in 2 of his last 3 bouts, and he lacks any win of note. This is a great chance for Pagara to make his first defense, and we suspect his aim will be on stopping Krampah in under 4 rounds, to try and beat the result Isaac Dogboe had against him. In one of the major supporting bouts we'll see former world title challengers face off with Jonas Sultan (14-4, 9) taking on Ardin Diale (34-12-4, 16). Sultan failed to shine in his recent world title fight with Jerwin Ancajas, but he is a talented fighter and will be wanting to bounce back from that setback. A win over would certainly help him go into 2019 with some momentum. As for Diale his record has been patchy recently, though he has mixed with top quality fighters such as Daigo Higa, Moruti Mthlane and Andrew Selby. We suspect Sultan's youth will get him over the line here, but this could be more competitive than the records suggest. Sultan isn't the only former world title challenger on this show as the once touted Arthur Villanueva (32-3, 18) looks to rebuild his career after his loss earlier this year to Luis Nery. Villanueva will be up against countryman Carlo Demecillo (11-5, 5) who is less than 2 years removed from a brutal KO loss to Satoshi Shimizu. He is 5-1 (4) since that loss, but this is a big step back up in class and is certainly his toughest bout since the Shimizu bout. Hard to see anything but a win for Villanueva, but he will have to work for it. Unbeaten prospect KJ Cataraja (8-0, 7) takes a step up as he faces Victor Hugo Reyes (9-1-1, 7) for the WBO Youth Super Flyweight title. Cataraja is widely regarded as one of the top Filipino prospects but hasn't yet had the opponents to really show what he's capable of. This is a good chance to Cataraja to prove what he can do and potentially convince his team to give him better match ups in the new year. Reyes is a live fighter, but his record doesn't have much quality on it, with his most notable bout being his loss to Ricardo Rafael Sandoval back in March. Reyes will travel to win, and should give Cataraja a good teat, but one that we expect Cataraja to pass. Japanese prospect Go Hosaka (1-0, 1), who is signed with ALA Promotions, will be having his second professional bout. The talented former amateur stand out will be up against the hard hitting but limited Jason Tinampay (8-11-1, 7). Hosaka is a real talent and ALA may well have a future world champion on their hands here, if they manage his career properly. At this stage putting him in with Tinampay seems a good choice. Tinampay was once a dangerous fighter, but has gone 1-10-1 since a 7-1 start to his career. Quebec, Canada We see yet more prospects in Canada, where two Kazakh hopefuls will be looking to extend their unbeaten records. One of those prospects is the very talented Sadriddin Akhmedov (4-0, 4), who goes up against the experienced Jose Francisco Zuniga (14-11-2, 5). On paper this is a slight step up in class for Akhmedov, who has stopped his first 4 opponents in a combined 8 rounds, but one he should manage without any issues. It's worth noting Zuniga has only been stopped once in his 11 losses, but we feel he will have to put in a real survival effort to hear the final bell here. The other is prospects is 24 year old Nurzat Sabirov (7-0, 6), who a huge step up in class to battle Rocky Montoya (32-2, 22). Sabirov is tipped to be a star, like many of the Kazakh's currently based in Canada , and has looked very promising since his debut in June 2017. This is however a step up and Montoya has only been stopped once, by the under-rated David Lopez. Whilst Montoya is a test on paper it's hard to know how good he is given that, for the most part, his competition has been dreadful. We suspect Montoya's record will be exposed here by the talented Kazakh. Victoria, Australia In less notable action we'll see Filipino Adam Diu Abdulhamid (13-6, 5) look to build on a recent big win in China, over Youli Dong. The under-rated Filipino will be facing off with Australian Joel Camilleri (15-5-1, 7) in a bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Welterweight title, which is currently vacant. Although relatively unknown Abdulhamid is a very good fighter and seems happy fighting on the road, despite bein 1-3 outside of the Philippines. Camilleri has won just 1 of his last 3 fights, and really lacks a good wins, but was competitive with Dwight Richie last time out, and is better than his record suggests. This looks like it could be a very interesting match up.  Tokyo, Japan
The first “big” show of December will take place this Friday, kicking off one of the most insanely busy months since we started this site! The card will be headlined by a female world title fight, as Japanese sensation Naoko Fujioka (16-2, 7) chases a 5th divisional world title and drops down to Light Flyweight to take on the unbeaten Yokasta Valle (13-0, 6), who is moving up from Atomweight. The bout could see Fujioka further solidify her place as the greatest Japanese female boxer or could, potentially, see her ending her career with a loss likely to push her into retirement, ending what has been a legendary career. Another title fight on this card will serve as the chief support and will see the big punching Kosuke Saka (16-3, 13) defending his Japanese Featherweight title against Takenori Ohashi (14-4-2, 9), in what looks like a straight forward first defense. The champion claimed the title in impressive fashion earlier this year, stopping Shota Hayashi, and will be looking to move into 2018 as the champion, and as a man looking for bigger and better things. Although a big under-dog Ohahsi will believe he has a chance, especially if Saka has over-looked him, and the challenger will almost certainly see this as his only chance to claim a title. In another very interesting supporting bout fans will see the heavy handed Keita Kurihara (9-5, 8) take on unbeaten Filipino Ryan Lumacad (13-0-3, 7). The Japanese fighter is certainly is no world class fighter, but he is a powerful fighter and is a real danger, especially in the early stages of a bout. For Lumacad the bout sees him returning to Japan for his first bout in the country since a very controversial draw against Go Onaga in January, and he will be hoping to keep this bout out of the hands of the judges. A really interesting support bout here. Also on the card are recent OPBF Super Bantamweight title challenger Kinshiro Usui (27-6, 11) and the experienced Akihiko Katagiri (17-9-2, 8) who are facing less experienced domestic foes. Both Usui and Katagiri suffered losses last time out and both will be wanting to get back to winnings ways here. Cavite, Philippines As well as the Japanese card there is also a notable card in the Philippines, with several notable names involved. One of those name fighters is the under-rated Ernesto Saulong (21-2-1, 8), who faces off with fellow Filipino Renan Portes (10-5, 6) in a bout for the IBF Pan Pacific Bantamweight title. The bout won't make much noise internationally, but should see the winner move towards an IBF top 15 position. Of the two Saulong has been the more impressive, but he can't continue fighting domestic level Filipino foes for too much longer, or his career will begin to stagnate massively. For Portes this will be his second bout since Hayate Kaji stopped him in 2 rounds, and he really shouldn't pose much of a test for Saulong. The unbeaten Jerald Daniega (11-0, 8) makes his ring return, after almost a year of inactivity, as he takes on low key foe Jerwin Mejes (4-2-3, 3). Prior to his break from the ring Daniega had began to get some real momentum and had scored 4 wins in 2016, and will be looking to ease himself back into action here, before kicking on next year. For Mejes the bout will see him looking to continue a 4 fight unbeaten run, which has seen him score 2 wins and two draws. Although not the most talented of fighters Mejes does hold a win with Lloyd Jardeliza and could prove to be a tough foe for the returning prospect. The hotly tipped Mark Anthony Barriga (7-0, 1) will be looking to continue his development as he takes on the once beaten Glenne Calacar (3-1-6, 1). The talented Barriga, a former top amateur star in the Philippines, has had a busy 2017 with 4 wins already including a very good 10 round decision win in September against Samartlek Kokietgym, and will be expecting another one here. As for Calacar, who has a very strange looking record, he comes into this bout having drawn his last two, and will be looking to place the spoiler once again, as he has done against every unbeaten fighter he has fought. Although Calacar will be the under-dog he is, strangely, 0-0-4 against unbeaten fighters! Another very notable fighter on this card is the debuting Pete Panitente (0-0), who was recently a sparring partner for Jerwin Ancajas prior to Ancajas's world title defense against Jamie Conlan. The debutant will be facing off with journeyman Jomar Borbon (4-29-2, 2) and should have no issues showcasing his skills on route to inflicting Borbon's 30th career defeat. Florida, USA Outside of Asia we'll get the chance to see former Kazakh amateur stand out Ivan Dychko (2-0, 2) continue his professional development, as he fights for the third time in just over 9 weeks. The talented and touted Heavyweight will be fighting in his first 6 rounder as he takes on 32 year old Lamarco Ellis (2-4, 1) in what should be another straight forward win for Dychko. It's worth noting that Ellis is a big lump, weighing in over 300lbs for all of his bouts to date, and is unlikely to have anything to trouble Dychko. Rhode Island, USA In a really interesting match up the once touted Toka Kahn Clary (23-1-0-1, 16) will take on unbeaten Filipino prospect John Vincent Moralde (19-0, 10). To date Clary's only loss was a shock opening round defeat to Filipino journeyman Jhon Gemino, in a highly surprising 90 second blow out, and and this will be Clary's first fight with a Filipino since that loss. For Moralde the bout will serve as his US debut, and he comes into the bout on a 3 fight stoppage run, albeit against limited domestic foes. A win for Moralde will help put him on the international boxing map, and it's clear he will be fighting with that in mind. West Midlands, United Kingdom In the UK fans will see English based Indian born fighter Dilbag Singh (4-0, 1) in action, with Singh seeking his 5th straight win. The unbeaten man hasn't had his opponent named at the time of writing, and we're not expecting anyone too testing, but if he keeps his winning run intact for the next 12-18 months he could well find himself fighting for titles on the British scene. |
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