One of many sport’s best possible fighters additionally stays amongst its most energetic.
Three-division and reigning WBC bantamweight Junto Nakatani will battle for the third time in 2024. The Ring’s No. 9 pound-for-pound entrant faces Thailand’s Petch CP Freshmart atop an Oct. 14 title battle tripleheader from Ariake Enviornment in Tokyo.
The present is on the again finish of loaded reveals on two consecutive days offered by Mr. Honda’s Teiken Promotions. Seven title fights will grace the two-day collection, each happening at Ariake Enviornment. Each occasions will air dwell on ESPN+ within the U.S.
Nakatani (28-0, 21 knockouts) is contemporary off a first-round knockout of the Philippines’ Vincent Astrolabio. Their July 20 headliner at Kokugikan Enviornment in Tokyo topped a lineup just like this occasion.
The win over Astrolabio got here lower than 5 months after Nakatani received his third divisional crown. It got here in a sixth-round knockout of Alexandro Santiago, who beforehand outpointed the legendary Nonito Donaire to win the WBC title final July 29 in Las Vegas.
Nakatani beforehand held titles at 112 and 115 kilos. He’s at the moment The Ring’s No. 1-rated bantamweight.
CP Freshmart (76-1, 53 KOs) amazingly enters his first profession title battle.
The 30-year-old southpaw has been a professional for greater than 13 years. The closest he’s come to a serious belt was a Dec. 2018 loss to Takuma Inoue of their interim WBC bantamweight title battle. CP Freshmart—start title Tasana Salapat—has received 28 in a row, although largely versus middling competitors.
Additionally in motion are just lately topped titlists Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) and Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5 KOs). Each will make the primary protection of their respective WBO belts.
Tanaka, No. 4 at 115, places his WBO junior bantamweight belt on the road versus South Africa’s Phumelele Cafu (10-0-3, 8 KOs). The all motion fighter from Aichi turned a four-division titlist in a Feb. 24 factors victory over Christian Bacasegua. He was as a result of seem on the July 20 Nakatani-Astrolabio card. Nevertheless, challenger Jonathan Rodriguez confirmed up greater than seven kilos above the 115-pound restrict and was scratched from the present.
Cafu enters his first profession title battle and in addition ventures outdoors of South Africa for the primary time as a professional.
Olascuaga will face former WBO 108-pound titlist Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (28-3-1, 14 KOs). Their necessary title battle was settled earlier this month and simply awaited a battle date.
The Los Angeles native claimed his WBO flyweight title in a terrific third-round knockout of Riku Kano. The Ring’s No. 8-rated flyweight hadn’t fought in ten months however didn’t present any indicators of ring rust in his second title bid. He beforehand suffered a ninth-round knockout to Kenshiro Teraji in a late substitute position for the Ring, WBC and WBA 108-pound crown.
Fittingly, Olascuaga was a substitute that night for Gonzalez, who’d fallen sick. It price the Boricua a profitable unification bout, which by no means got here again spherical. Sickness, accidents and weight struggles dulled his title reign to simply three defenses over three years. Gonzalez vacated the title in June to marketing campaign at flyweight, the place he was put in because the necessary challenger.
The night’s co-feature is the lone non-title battle of the evening. In style gate attraction and bantamweight prospect Tenshin Nasukawa (4-0, 2 KOs) will face the Philippines’ Gerwin Asilo (9-0, 4 KOs) in a ten-round regional title battle.
Nasukawa is contemporary off his first true knockout victory. He knocked outJonathan Rodriguez (not the fatty who blew weight versus Tanaka) within the third spherical on the July 20 Nakatani-Astrolabio undercard. He beforehand stopped Luis Robles within the third as nicely, although as a result of ankle damage.
The previous kickboxing star went the gap in every of his first two bouts however is already being quick tracked in the direction of title rivalry.
Asilo enjoys a fast turnaround as nicely. The rising bantamweight from Bohol received through second-round knockout on July 27 in Tagbilaran Metropolis, which has hosted his final 4 fights. This journey marks his first as a professional outdoors the Philippines.
Headlining the Oct. 13 card, divisional rival and WBA titlist Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) makes an attempt his first protection versus countryman Seiya Tsutsumi (11-0-2, 8 KOs).
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