Mark Magsayo challenges WBC champ Gary Russell Jr. on January 22

FILE–Mark Magsayo (R) of the Philippines after the WBA Featherweight Title Eliminator boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 21, 2021. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines—Mark Magsayo’s first world title shot will be on January 22 as the unbeaten Filipino and WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. clash in a Showtime Championship Boxing main event, as per boxingscene.com.

The venue, however, is still being finalized as of posting.

Magsayo (23-0, 16KOs) was tapped as the mandatory challenger by the World Boxing Council after his spectacular knockout of Julio Ceja last August.

Russell (31-1, 18KOs) has held the WBC crown since stopping Jhonny Gonzalez in 2015, but the Washington DC native has only defended his title five times since then.

The showdown with Magsayo will be Russell’s first since February of last year when he beat Tugstsogt Nyambayar of Mongolia via unanimous decision.

The 26-year-old Tacloban City, Leyte native, who is under MP Promotions and is mentored by Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach, is WBC’s No. 2 contender.