Santisima to test mettle vs former Japanese world champion in August

CEBU CITY, Philippines — ZIP Sanman Boxing’s Alex Santisima is set for the biggest fight of his young career when he returns to Japan for the third time on August 16.

The 26-year-old Filipino prospect will take on former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight world champion Yukinori Oguni in a scheduled 10-round bout at the iconic Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

The fight is part of the Treasure Boxing Promotion’s card, which features three title bouts. Santisima is the lone Filipino boxer on the event.

One of the four Santisima siblings in professional boxing, Santisima has emerged as one of the country’s promising prospects, compiling a 13–2 record with seven knockouts.

The Cebu-based fighter trains under the ZIP Sanman Boxing Team in Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe.

Santisima heads into the bout riding a two-fight knockout streak. He stopped fellow Filipino Jelo Bacalso via technical knockout last December before knocking out veteran Richard Pumicpic on June 19 during ZIP Sanman’s first-ever fight card in Japan’s Nagoya region.

Santisima lost in last Japan outing

His last outing against a Japanese opponent ended in disappointment after suffering a seventh-round knockout loss to Subaru Murata in 2024. Santisima bounced back with three consecutive victories before dropping a decision to China’s Wensong Liu in a bout for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Far East featherweight title.

READ: Santisima, Murata make weight for WBO AsPac title bout

Oguni, meanwhile, brings a wealth of experience to the ring. The Japanese veteran captured the IBF super bantamweight world title in 2016 before losing it to compatriot Ryosuke Iwasa via technical knockout the following year.

The 37-year-old enters the fight on a two-bout winning streak. He defeated Thailand’s Thattana Luangphon before scoring an impressive unanimous decision victory over former two-division world champion Marlon Tapales in Tokyo earlier this year.

READ: Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch postponed indefinitely

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