HIGA TO DEFEND WBC WORLD TITLE VS. EX-WORD CHAMP FUENTES FEB. 4

By LITO DELOS REYES

REIGNING WBC World flyweight champion Daigo Higa will defend his title against former world champion Moises “Moy” Fuentes of Mexico on February 4 at the Prefectural Budokan, Naha in Japan.
The 12-round title fight is promoted by Yoko Gushiken of Shirai & Gushiken Promotions.
The undefeated Higa (14W-0L, 14 KOs) won the vacant WBC World flyweight title via a 6th round TKO against Mexican Juan Hernandez Navarrete last May 20 at the Ariake Colosseum in Japan. He retained it by stopping French Thomas Masson in Round 7 by a TKO last October 22 in Kokugikan.
Fuentes (25W-4L-1D, 14KOs) , on the other hand, is coming from a first round knockout win against compatriot Ulises Lara in their rematch last October 28 at Domo Sindicato de Trabajadores IMSS.
Fuentes lost to Lara by a majority decision before he avenged it with a convincing knockout win. He won the WBO World miniumweight title by dethroning Raul Garcia by a split decision in 2011. He successfully defended it twice against Julio Cesar Felix (1st round KO) and Ivan Calderon (5th round TKO).
Fuentes then went to the Philippines to challenge WBO world light flyweight king Donnie Nietes in Cebu which ended in a majority draw.
Fuentes also won the interim WBO world light flyweight title via a 1st round TKO win over Luis dela Rosa in 2013. Fuentes also fought but lost for the vacant WBO World light flyweight crown against Kosei Tanaka by a 5th round TKO last year.L-
Pitted in the undercard are:
Jun Blazo (7W-4L-3D, 6 KOs) of the Philippines vs. Ryuto Owan (3W-0L, 2 KOs) of Japan (6 rds.-118 lbs.)
Yoshio Izawa (1W-0L-1D) vs. Yusuke Yamashiro (0W-1L-1D) (4 rds.130 lbs.)

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