The light flyweight division remains red-hot, as Salvador Rodriguez reports that knockout artist Sergio Mendoza will face IBF champion Thanongsak Simri on April 19th in Japan.
It may seem odd for a Mexican challenger and a Thai champion to square off in the Land of the Rising Sun, but Simsri (39-1, 34 KO) has had all of his major fights on Japanese soil, starting with a 2022 loss to Masamichi Yabuki and continuing on with an OPBF title reign that saw him take out Masataka Taniguchi before edging out Cristian Araneta for the IBF belt last June.
Mendoza (27-0, 23 KO), by contrast, has fought the entirety of his career on home soil. His most recent fight was also his biggest, as he blew the doors off of South Africa Mpumelelo Tshabalala in a final eliminator this past November.
This is an excellent showdown between two young, proven finishers. I wouldn’t bet on a U.S. broadcast, but we can dream.
