Sivenathi Nontshinga will hit the road again for a title fight.
The Ring’s no. 2-rated junior flyweight vie for his IBF belt against former WBC titlist Masamichi Yabuki. The scheduled twelve-round bout will headline an ABEMA-TV stream from Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan on October 12.
South Africa’s Nontshinga (13-1, 10 knockouts) will fight for the fourth time in five ring appearances outside his home country—and continent.
The 25-year-old Eastern Cape has twice won the IBF belt on the road, both occasions taking place in Mexico. He defeated Tijuana’s Hector Flores (20-0-4, 10 KOs at the time) in their Sept. Defeated 2022 Fight of the Year Contender in Hermosillo, Mexico. One successful defense followed, a points victory over Regie Suganob (13-0 at the time) in S. Africa.
Nontshinga’s reign ended in a stunning first-round knockout loss to Mexico’s drian Curiel (24-6-1, 5 KOs) last November 4 in Monte Carlo. He then traveled to Curiel’s home country for their reunion on February 16. Nontshinga was knocked out in a tenth round to regain his title.
Attempts were made to unify against then-RING/WBA/WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14 KOs) and then-WBO titlist Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (28-3-1, 14 KOs). Both roads were explored as was Nontshinga ordered to face mandatory challenger Christian Araneta.
Those efforts proved futile, though all three – Nontshinga, Teraji and Gonzalez – fought on consecutive days in Japan. Teraji faces Nicaragua’s Cristofer Rosales (38-6, 22 KOs) for the vacant WBC flyweight title on October 13 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. One night later at the same venue, Gonzalez challenges WBO flyweight titlist Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5 KOs).
If nothing else, Nontshinga can travel the country to take in the action, assuming he prevails in his title defense.
Yabuki (16-4, 15 KOs), No. 6 out of 108authored one of the biggest upsets of 2021 in his only career title win.
Nagoya’s hard-hitting junior flyweight Aichi dethroned Teraji via tenth-round stoppage in their September 2021 thriller. His reign was short-lived, as Teraji emphatically avenged the loss in a third-round knockout in March 2022 .
Three wins followed for Yabuki, all within the distance. In his most recent start, the 32-year-old knockout artist stopped Nicaragua’s Kevin Vivas (7-3, 2 KOs) in the fourth round of their March 16 showdown in Nagoya.
All four of Yabuki’s losses came against former, current or future titleholders—Teraji, Daniel Matellon, Seigo Akui and Junto Nakatani.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring.
