FILE –Filipino boxer Jerwin Ancajas. AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Jerwin Ancajas is set to defend his IBF super flyweight title against Fernando Daniel Martinez after his unification bout against Kazuto Ioka fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per BoxingScene.com, Ancajas will make his defense in early February against the Argentine pugilist who hasn’t had much of a mileage in the professional circuit.
BoxRec also listed the Ancajas-Martinez bout for February 5 but no venue has been named yet.
Ancajas (33-1-2) will stake his title, which he won in September 2016, for the 10th time against the undefeated Martinez (13-0), who will be challenging for a World title for the first time in his career.
The closest Martinez, who started his professional career in August 2017, got to a World title was when he won the WBC Silver super flyweight championship from Athenkosi Dumezweni via 11th round stoppage.
Ancajas was supposed to fight Ioka, who holds the WBO strap, in New Year’s Eve in Japan but that match got postponed after the country closed its borders due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Despite having less than half of Ancajas’ wins, Martinez is the older fighter between the two as he’s already 30-years-old while the champion is 29.
Ancajas, who last beat Jonathan Rodriguez via unanimous decision in April 2021, will enter his fight against Martinez as the third-longest reigning active champion in the sport having held the IBF title for 65 months.
Gary Russell Jr. (31-1) has held the WBC featherweight title since March 2015 while WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong (23-0) claimed his belt in June 2016.