IBF Super Bantamweight champion Jonathan Guzman is busy defending his belt late this year, but should he successfully defend it, there will be another opponent waiting in the wings for him.
Promoter Lou DiBella recently announced that Luis Rosa Jr. and Ryosuke Iwasa will square off with the world title opportunity on the line on November 19 in Connecticut.
The undefeated Rosa is already looking ahead to the possible world title match, predicting a knockout win. Rosa last fought Luis Hinojosa during the summer, but an accidental clash of heads resulted in a no contest. Rosa will be fighting for the third time in 2016.
"I know Iwasa has faced some good competition, but I'm looking to do damage quick and end the fight early," Rosa said. "I'm going for the knockout, but I'm going to be smart about it. I know he's a southpaw and he's a little tall, he's slick and fast, but he throws basic combinations and we're going to work around that."
Iwasa, who previously competed for an IBF championship in a losing effort to Lee Haskins in 2015, is relishing in the fact that he will be fighting in the U.S. for he first time in his career and is eager to get back in the world title picture. Iwasa had won his previous three fights heading this upcoming fight.
"This is a great opportunity to put me back in line for an IBF championship," Iwasa said. "This will be my first fight in the United States and I know that I will be in Rosa's backyard, but that will not bother me. Rosa is skilled with good power, but I will prove that I am the better fighter."
Guzman will be defending his title on New Year's Eve against Yukinori Oguni in Oguni's native Japan. The site of that fight is yet to be officially revealed.
