BoxRec

Alexandro Santiago-Junto Nakatani Tops February 24 Title Fight Tripleheader In Tokyo

Junto Nakatani will not waste any time in his bid to become a three-division titlist.

The rail thin WBO junior bantamweight titlist is off to bantamweight, where he will challenge reigning WBC title holder Alexandro Santiago. Their intriguing matchup is confirmed to headline a February 24 title fight tripleheader on Amazon Prime-Japan from the famed Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

Teiken Promotions and Amazon confirmed the show on Thursday afternoon in Tokyo. A U.S. platform was not mentioned during the announcement, though it is believed that the show will air on ESPN+.

The show—which will air on ESPN+ in the U.S.—will also include the rescheduled Takuma Inoue-Jerwin Ancajas WBA bantamweight title fight. The final of the three title clashes sees Nakatani’s recently vacated WBO junior bantamweight title at stake between Kosei Tanaka and Mexicali’s Christian Bacasegua.

Nakatani (26-0, 19KOs) previously teased a move up in weight, shortly after he became a two-division titlist with a highlight reel 12th round knockout of Andrew Moloney this past May in Las Vegas. The 5’7 ½” southpaw was always on borrowed time at the lower weights, particularly at flyweight where he held the WBO title for nearly two years.

His junior bantamweight reign ends after just two title fights—the knockout over Moloney and his September 18 decision win over two-time title challenger Argi Cortes at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

Santiago (28-3-5, 14KOs) claimed his title at the right time as the streaking bantamweight has hit the jackpot. He hit paydirt in a twelve-round, unanimous decision win over former four-division champion Nonito Donaire on July 29 in Las Vegas to claim the WBC bantamweight title.

The bout versus Nakatani will mark the first outside the Americas for Tijuana’s Santiago, who has won his last four starts.

Inoue (18-1, 4KOs) aims to make the first defense of his title in the evening’s co-feature.

This bout was originally due to take place on November 15, only for Inoue—the younger brother of four-division champion and pound-for-pound entrant Nayoa Inoue—to suffer a rib injury and postpone the event.

Ancajas (34-3-2, 23KOs) returned to the win column with a fifth-round knockout of Wilner Soto on June 24 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The feat ended a two-fight losing skid, both at the hands of Argentina’s Fernando Martinez who claimed the IBF junior bantamweight title and subsequently defended both in separate unanimous decision wins over the 31-year-old southpaw from Panabo City, Philippines.

The confidence-restoring win over Soto was enough for Ancajas—who is promoted by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions—to magically appear in the WBA bantamweight rankings in time to enter talks for a fight versus Inoue.

Tanaka (19-1, 11KOs) will get a second chance to become a four-division titlist. His previous attempt ended in his lone career defeat, a one-sided eighth-round knockout at the hands of countryman Kazuto Ioka on New Year’s Eve 2020.

Four straight wins have followed for the 28-year-old who hails from Nagoya.

Bacasegua (22-4-2, 9KOs) has won nine in a row as he fights outside of Mexico for the first time in his career. The first-time title hopeful takes a sizable leap in competition as he makes the trip with Santiago. Both are promoted by Paco Damian’s Paco Presents company.

nice fight!

Fight Week!

Is this likely to be on Sky Sports?

ESPN+ I think…international feed w chris Algeri

Undercard coming up

Jonas Sultan Riku Masuda

Fight Day!

Date: February 24, 2024
Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan - Sumida City, Tokyo, Japan
Stream
USA: ESPN+
UK: TBA
Start Time: 4 am ET | 1 am PT | 9 am GMT | 8 pm AEDT

Fight Card

WBC Bantamweight Championship
Alexandro Santiago vs. Junto Nakatani

WBA Bantamweight Championship
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas

Vacant WBO Super Fyweight Championship
Kosei Tanaka vs. Christian Bacasegua Rangel

8 Round Bantamweight Bout
Jonas Sultan vs. Riku Masuda

4 Round Featherweight Bout
Kensho Oyamada vs. Ren Kobayashi

Next up!

Jonas Sultan (19-6, 11 KO) vs Riku Masuda (3-1, 3 KO), bantamweights, 8 rounds

Sultan, 32, is no world-beater, but he's a tough pro who's never been stopped and has been in with some good fighters. He split a pair of fights with John Riel Casimero back in 2017-18, winning a decision in Cebu City before losing the rematch in Fresno.

Masada, 26, is a southpaw who turned pro in July 2022 and won his first three fights, then lost a 10-round decision to Japanese bantamweight champ Seiya Tsutsumi last August. He's trying to bounce back here, and he's not trying to do it the easy way.

Wow the very tough Sultan taken out with a devastating body shot KO1

WOW1 BODYSHOT KO1

So apparently this is on Amazon Prime Japan
Unlike the tennis they were showing last year it’s country specific I guess… so does that mean we’re gonna see Rolly Romero and Co in the UK on Amazon coming up next month?

Next up!

Kosei Tanaka (19-1, 11 KO) vs Christian Bacasegua (22-4-2, 9 KO), super flyweights, 12 rounds, for vacant WBO title

Odds: Tanaka -650, Bacasegua +425 (DraftKings)

Tanaka, 28, has flown under the radar a bit the past couple years, but he's a former world champion at 108 and 112, now trying for the second time at 115. In his previous try, he lost to Kazuto Ioka in 2020, and there's nothing to be ashamed of there, as Ioka is obviously a tremendous fighter. He's won four straight since then.

Bacasegua, 26, comes in pretty unknown out of Mexico, and nothing on his record indicates he's some sleeper top contender. But you also never know! Sometimes guys shine when the spotlight is brightest.

I like Tanaka, exciting fighter, I remember being impressed, even though he lost to Ioka….

No one can touch Jimmy Lennon Junior, the rest are no good bums

Gonna be three good fights.

Tough this Mexican Rocky, awkward style, throwing hard punches
the Japanese hasn’t figured him out yet

Rocky’s come to win, unsurprisingly

baca really winging those hooks in. very busy. tanaka less active but better quality, jarring baca's body with shorter hooks and uppers downstarss in reply. good fight, as usual the mexican is hard and coming for it

baca's work rate not dropping, but his form is becoming messier and he keeps wiping at his nose, maybe first signs of being tired

tanaka been very controlled all fight and is holding up fine it looks like

baca ruled down on a big flurry, not sure it was a legit kd tbh but he's definitley wilting

I don't think the kd will be a deciding factor for that fight though.

baca comes out and fights just as hard in the 9th. still putting it on tanaka, albeit being picked apart

baca would be a good test for some hot prospects who havent had to fight hard or go many rounds before. tough guy with a hell of an engine

despite baca's never ending assault, tanaka should be way ahead going into the last two rounds, just so much more hurtful and precise

final round coming up....baca hurt to the body neat the end of the 11th

one of the better one-sided fights you'll se

GRUELLING

Big finish from Tanaka