DENNIS HOGAN TO FACE YUKI NONAKA IN WBO WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR

Japanese veteran Yuki Nonaka (31-8-3, 10) has had a frustrating 2017 and hasn’t actually fought since December 29th, when he defended the Japanese Light Middleweight title against Yosuke Kirima. Since then he has been linked to a number of bouts, including a contest with Miguel Cotto and a bout with Japanese foe Koshinmaru Saito, but seen both bouts fall through for one reason or another.

Now the news is that Nonaka is set to return to the ring, and end his break from the ring, in a bout that does have significance, even if it’s not the Cotto bout that some had hoped he’d get.

Instead of Cotto it seems like Nonaka will face the once beaten Dennis Hogan (25-1-1, 7) in a WBO world title eliminator in Australia, with the winner potentially in line for a bout with either Cotto or Yoshihiro Kamegai, who face off on October 14th.

The bout will be Nonaka’s first outside of Japan and will see him taking a 13 fight unbeaten run in to the bout, with the potential to score a career defining win. It will however be a very tough ask against an opponent who has not only got the home fans on his side but also an impressive record with recent wins over Samuel Colomban and Yao Yi Ma in his last 2 bouts.

Whilst Hogan’s current winning run is just 3 bouts it should be note that his only loss was a decision in Germany to the talented Jack Culcay in a bout for the WBA interim Light Middleweight title in 2015. In that bout he proved he was better than many suggested, and although clearly beaten by Culcay he did turn the heads of many who assumed he was there to be stopped by the Ecuadorian born German fighter.