Jerwin Ancajas' next challenger could be decided in November in an upcoming card in Japan.
First reported by Asian Boxing, 37-fight veteran Ryuichi Funai will face off against Victor Olivo in an IBF super flyweight title eliminator. The fight will headline a boxing card from Korakuen Hall on November 10.
Funai has spent the majority of his career fighting at Korakuen Hall, amassing a 30-7 pro record since debuting in 2005. Funai, a former Japanese national super flyweight champion, won the WBO Asia Pacific title back in June with a knockout victory over Warlito Parrenas and is currently ranked No. 3 by the IBF at 115 pounds.
As for Olivo, ranked No. 7 by the IBF, he will be fighting outside of his native country of Mexico for the second time in his career. Sporting a 15-2-1 pro record, Olivo bounced back from a November 2017 loss with a win over Irving Fierro back in June.
Ancajas has held the IBF title since 2016, but has been one of the division's most active champions. Ancajas has successfully defended his title six times, competing all over the world from Australia to Northern Ireland to United States and more. The 26-year-old Ancajas' last title defense took place on an ESPN+ card from California where he fought Alejandro Santiago to a split draw, meaning Ancajas retained his title.
Also announced for the November 10 Korakuen Hall show are two title fights. The first is a vacant Japanese Youth minimumweight title fight between unbeaten fighters Yuga Inoue and Kai Ishizawa. The second is a vacant Japanese Youth lightweight title fight between Seiryu Toshikawa and Shawn Oda.
