- Takuma Inoue defends his WBA bantamweight world title for the first time this Saturday against Jerwin Ancajas.
- Inoue won the title in his previous fight, while Ancajas will make his bantamweight debut.
- Inoue is the betting favorite at -280, and Ancajas is the +225 betting underdog.
The Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena will play host to the first WBA bantamweight world title defense of Takuma Inoue as he faces Jerwin Ancajas this Saturday in Tokyo. Inoue is riding a five-fight win streak, and Ancajas is coming off a bounce-back victory from his previous fight.
Prime Video live boxing 7 fight poster
WBA Bantamweight Champion Takuma Inoue vs Jerwin Ancajas
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WBO #6 Jonas Sultan vs Riku Masuda#InoueAncajas#SultanMasuda pic.twitter.com/oqbvkEHYDH
— VIVA PROMOTIONS (@VIVAPROMOTIONS1) February 20, 2024
Because of his consecutive victories, Inoue comes in as the considerable betting favorite in boxing odds at -280, while his challenger takes the underdog status at +225 heading into the championship match.
Takuma Inoue Recent Fight Results
Inoue made his pro debut in December 2012 and racked up 13 straight victories which allowed him to capture the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation Super Flyweight and WBC Interim Bantamweight titles, both of which were minor titles.
In November 2019, the Japanese star received his first crack at a world title against Nordine Oubaali, whom he challenged for the WBC World Bantamweight title, but he came up short and sustained a unanimous decision loss.
Takuma Inoue has now threw a triple uppercut combination on 4 different occasions🔥 Fantastic work so far👏🏼 #InoueDonaire2 #InoueDonaire @takumainoue_122 pic.twitter.com/98n4vczdxq
— No Nonsense Boxing (@NNBoxing) June 7, 2022
Since that defeat, Inoue redeemed himself and won his next five bouts, beating the likes of Keita Kurihara, Shingo Wake, Gakuya Furuhashi, and Jake Bornea. His latest victory was against Liborio Solis in April, which was his career-defining victory as he became the WBA champion.
Jerwin Ancajas Recent Fight Results
Ancajas was a former IBF World Super Flyweight world champion with a lengthy five-year reign. The Filipino star defeated McJoe Arroyo in September 2016 and made eight successful title defenses.
In February 2022, Ancajas ran into Fernando Daniel Martinez and ended his IBF rule with a unanimous decision loss. Eight months later, he tried to regain his belt in an immediate rematch but received the same result.
The hits just keep on coming when @JerwinAncajas is in the ring. He fights in the 1st all Filipino title bout in almost 100 years May 26, only on @espn+. https://t.co/MnSpAnmf82 pic.twitter.com/q3SrHBDrh9
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 20, 2018
Following these back-to-back setbacks and the growing weight-cutting problems, Ancajas finally decided to move up in weight and right away challenged Inoue for his WBA belt to make a grand arrival in the division.
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas: Tale of the Tape
| Takuma Inoue | Jerwin Ancajas | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 28 | 32 |
| Height | 5’4” | 5’6” |
| Reach | 64 inches | 66.5 inches |
| Record | 18-1 | 34-3-2 |
| Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
| TKO/KO Percentage | 22% | 68% |
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas: Fight Analysis
The tale of the tape between Inoue and Ancajas favors the latter because he will have a 2-inch height and a 2 ½-inch reach advantage against the former. Experience-wise, Ancajas will also have the upper hand with more fights under his belt.
One thing to look out for is the difference in fighting stance. Inoue fights in orthodox, and Ancajas sports a southpaw approach, which could cause headbutts when they exchange punches and potentially produce a fight-altering cut from either fighter.
In terms of fighting style, it is the opposite because the defending champion is more of a technical fighter and a counterpuncher who waits for his opponent to open up before countering them with his hard punches, which explains his 22% finish rate.
He also has sleek and quick footwork that makes him an elusive target and forces his opponents to punch the air multiple times during the fight. This is also the complete opposite of Naoya Inoue’s fighting style, who is Takuma’s older brother.
On the other hand, Ancajas is an all-action fighter who marches forward and attacks his foes relentlessly with vicious combinations. This style tallied him with a 68% TKO/KO percentage and a feared finisher in the super flyweight division.
Once he gets his rhythm going, it is hard to stop Ancajas, especially when he knows his opponent is already hurt. The only concern for him going into this match is whether he will be able to bring his speed and power to the higher weight class.
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas: Date and Start Time
Feb. 24, 2024, 12:30 a.m. PT
Feb. 24, 2024, 2:30 a.m. CT
Feb. 24, 2023, 3:30 a.m. ET
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas: Fight Prediction
Official Prediction: Unanimous decision victory for Jerwin Ancajas.
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