Fajardo gets long-sought world title shot

DREAM BOUT. Miel Fajardo is set to fight International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight king Masamichi Yabuki next month in Japan. / MIEL FAJARDO FACEBOOK PAGE

HARD-hitting Miel Fajardo finally earned his shot at a world title as he’s set to challenge International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight king Masamichi Yabuki on Nov. 26, 2026, at the Ebara Wave Arena Ota in Tokyo, Japan.

The 26-year-old Fajardo earned mandatory status after defeating Tobias Reyes in an IBF flyweight world title eliminator last April 11, 2026, in Argentina. He quickly disposed of the highly-touted Reyes in the opening round of the fight.

In 2024, Fajardo suffered a roadblock in his rising career after suffering back-to-back losses. He lost to Thanongsak Simsri by unanimous decision and then to Mchanja Yohana also by unanimous decision in regional bouts.

The next year, Fajardo got back on track with a first-round knockout of Miller Alapormina, followed by a unanimous decision win against world-ranked Esneth Domingo.

On the other hand, the 34-year-old Yabuki, a three-time world champion, captured the IBF belt with a 12th-round stoppage of Angel Ayala in Japan. He successfully defended his belt with a 12th-round knockout of Felix Alvarado and a unanimous decision victory against Rene Calixto.

Yabuki also held the IBF and World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight belts on separate occasions and has beaten the likes of Sivenathi Nontshinga, Simsri, and Kenshiro Teraji.

Fajardo has a win-loss-draw record of 14-3-2 with 12 knockouts, while Yabuki is 20-4 with 18 knockouts. / EKA