Three world title fights in Japan today

THERE are three world title fights on the same bill at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, today.

Mexico’s Alexander Santiago (283-5;) defends his WBC bantamweight title for the first time against Japan’s former two-time world champion Junto Nakatani (26-0; 19).

The older Santiago is up against a southpaw, tall, young, , and hungry fighter. This is going to be hard one for the champion, who could possibly win on points over the long road.

TAKUMA INOUE VS JERWIN ANCAJAS

Inoue (18-1; 4), from Japan, is the younger brother of the pound-forpound No 1 Naoya Inoue, and won the WBA bantamweight belt that was vacated by his brother. The only loss on his record has come against Nordine Oubaali.

The 32 –year-old southpaw Ancajas (34-3-2; 23) is a Filipino that is moving up from junior bantamweight where he held the IBF title from 2016 to 2022.

Inoue is an orthodox fighter with only a 22 per cent knockout ratio as a professional.

The 28-year-old Inoue was named 2015 Prospect of the Year by The Ring magazine.

KOSEI TANAKA VS CHEISTIAN BACASEGUA RANGEL

Former three-weight world champion, 28-year-old Kosei Tanaka (19-1; 11) of Japan, meets Christian Bacasegua Rangel (24-4-2; 9) of Mexico for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title.

In his most recent fight in May last year, Tanaka stopped Pablo Carrillo with 17 seconds remaining in the tenth round.

Bacasegua Rangel’s last fight took place in October when he stopped Eliud De los Santos in the second round.

Tanaka has won four fights in a row since the former WBO flyweight champion lost to WBO junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka on an eighth-round stoppage.