Former WBC strawweight champion Panya Pradrabsri (42-1, 27 KO) will challenge for another world title as he moves up in weight to face Venezuela’s Carlos Canizales (27-2-1, 19 KO) against the vacant WBC junior flyweight to pack. belt.
Pradrabsri, rated at No. 7 by The Ring at 105 pounds and also known by the alias Petchmanee CPF, captured the WBC strawweight title for the first time in 2020 by dethroning long reigning champion Chayaphon Moonsri (55-3, 19 KO). He successfully defended the title five times before losing it by unanimous decision to Japan’s Yudai Shigeoka (9-1, 5 KO) in October 2023.
Since the loss, the 33-year-old Thai fighter has fought three times in warm-up bouts in the junior flyweight division (108 pounds), paving the way for his upcoming showdown with Canizales. Eager to regain world championship status, Pradrabsri will face stiff competition in 31-year-old Canizales. currently rated at No. 5 by The Ring at 108 pounds and a former WBA junior flyweight belt holder.
Canizales is riding high after a win over Ivan Garcia Balderas (12-3-1, 4 KO). Prior to that, the Venezuelan challenged for the WBC 108-pound belt against Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14 KO), falling short by majority decision. Canizales also fought to a split draw against Japan’s Ryoichi Taguchi (28-4-2, 12 KO) in a showdown held at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
The Pradrabsri-Canizales match is scheduled to take place in Thailand, although the exact date and venue are yet to be confirmed. The fight is expected to take place sometime in November as both fighters look to cement their place among the elite in the light flyweight division.
