Junto Nakatani to challenge Alejandro Santiago for WBC bantamweight title

Former two-division titleholder Junto Nakatani will step up to bantamweight to challenge Alejandro Santiago for the WBC title at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on February 24, 2024. On the same card, WBA bantamweight titlist Takuma Inoue will put his belt on the line for the first time against former IBF junior bantamweight beltholder […]

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Former two-division titleholder Junto Nakatani will step up to bantamweight to challenge Alejandro Santiago for the WBC title at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on February 24, 2024.

On the same card, WBA bantamweight titlist Takuma Inoue will put his belt on the line for the first time against former IBF junior bantamweight beltholder Jerwin Ancajas. The two had been scheduled to fight on November 15, but the fight was postponed in October after Inoue suffered a broken rib.

Also, Kosei Tanaka will get the chance to become a four-weight titleholder when he faces Christian Bacasegua for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight championship.

Santiago (28-3-5, 14 knockouts), The Ring’s No. 3-rated bantamweight, has overcome a couple of early setbacks to establish himself as a solid professional. The 27-year-old Mexican is already a 10-year veteran. In his first world title attempt he gave Ancajas, then the IBF 115-pound titlist, all he could handle in a 12-round draw.

Santiago lost a close fight to Gary Antonio Russell (SD 10) in late 2021 and rebounded with three wins to earn a shot at the vacant WBC title against the legendary Nonito Donaire. He showed a good chin early to come on late and claimed a 12-round unanimous decision to lift the title.

Nakatani (26-0, 19 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3-rated junior bantamweight, ran through his early opposition and holds wins over former junior flyweight titleholder Masamichi Yabuki (UD 4) and flyweight contender Seigo Yuri Akui (TKO 6), and he passed the litmus test of former 108-pound titleholder Milan Melindo (TKO 6). COVID stymied the tall 25-year-old’s progress, and he had to wait 13 months to win the vacant WBO title against Giemel Magramo (TKO 8) in November 2020. He made two defenses, including his American debut, when he stopped former titleholder Angel Acosta (TKO 4). On the undercard of Gennadiy Golovkin-Ryota Murata, he was equally impressive in bludgeoning Ryota Yamauchi (TKO 8).

The heavy-handed boxer-puncher moved up to 115 pounds and beat tough Mexican Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (UD 10) before capturing the vacant WBO title with a Knockout of the Year candidate against Andrew Moloney (KO 11), then widely dominated Argi Cortes (UD 12) in his first defense.

Inoue (18-1, 4 knockouts), rated at No. 8 by The Ring at bantamweight, is talented in his own right but is often found in his older brother Naoya’s shadow. Takuma won the OPBF 115-pound title in just his fifth fight and made two defenses before stepping up to bantamweight in 2017. He lost his unbeaten record in a WBC title shot against Nordine Oubaali (UD 12) in late 2019.

In his comeback fight, Inoue beat Keita Kurihara (TD 9) to pick up the OPBF 118-pound belt. He then moved up to 122 pounds and beat experienced former world title challenger Shingo Wake (UD 12) and added the national title by beating grizzled veteran Gukuya Furuhashi (UD 12). Last time out, the 27-year-old outpointed Liborio Solis (UD 12) to annex the vacant WBA title.

Ancajas (34-3-2, 23 KOs) won the IBF title from McJoe Arroyo (UD 12) in September 2016. He made nine successful defenses, posting wins over Teiru Kinoshita (TKO 7), Jamie Conlan (TKO 6) and Israel Gonzalez (TKO 10).

Ancajas is a road warrior and has competed in Macau, Australia, Ireland, the U.S. and Mexico. The 31-year-old southpaw lost his title to Fernando Martinez (UD 12) in February 2022 and then lost the rematch to the Argentine fighter (UD 12). However, he then got back to winning ways with an eight-round confidence-builder over the summer.

In 2015, Tanaka (19-1, 11 KOs), The Ring’s No. 5-rated junior bantamweight, won the WBO strawweight title from Julian Yedras (UD 12) in his fifth fight and made one defense. He then moved up to junior flyweight, won the vacant WBO title and made two defenses. The Japanese star outgrew that division and edged Sho Kimura (MD 12) to win the WBO flyweight title in 2018. He made three defenses of that one, notably outboxing former unified junior flyweight titleholder Ryoichi Taguchi (UD 12) and stopping current WBO 108-pound titlist Jonathan Gonzalez (TKO 7).

The 28-year-old jumped to 115 pounds but was brutally stopped by Kazuto Ioka (TKO 8) on New Year’s Eve in 2020. The three-weight world champion has regained his confidence with four wins.

Bacasegua (22-4-2, 9 KOs) turned professional in 2015 weighing 130 pounds. The Mexicali native overcame a few setbacks while gradually slimming down to bantamweight, including being stopped by journeyman Julio Abel Robles (TKO 4). He suffered further defeats against Leonardo Baez (SD 10) and all the way down at flyweight to experienced former two-time world title challenger Moises Calleros (MD 10).

However, the 26-year-old has settled in at 115 pounds and won his last nine fights, all in Mexico, to earn his title shot.

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