WBO Super Flyweight Champion Kosei Tanaka of Japan takes on South Africa’s unbeaten Phumelele Cafu in Tokyo this Monday, October 14th. The 12-rounder can be seen live in America on ESPN+ with the card getting underway at approximately 4 am while fans in the UK and Ireland can catch the bout on Sky Sports + at 9 am. Tanaka last fought in February when he beat Christian Bacasegua Rangel via a unanimous decision to win the vacant belt and has won five straight fights since the former WBO Flyweight Champion lost to WBO Super Flyweight Champion Kazuto Ioka via an eighth-round stoppage in a move up in weight in late 2020. Cafu last boxed in December when he stopped Enathi Stelle in just 26 seconds to win the vacant South African Super Flyweight Title.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Kosei Tanaka vs Phumelele Cafu.
When is Kosei Tanaka vs Phumelele Cafu?
- Date: Monday, October 14
- Time: 4 a.m. ET
The boxing match between Kosei Tanaka and Phumelele Cafu is scheduled for Monday, October 14, 2024, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight will be for the WBO World Super-flyweight Title and will be broadcast on ESPN+
Tanaka has fought just 21 times as a pro and owns a mark of 20-1 with 11 Ko’s. He and Vasyl Lomachenko share the world record for the fewest fights (12) to become three-weight world champions as Tanaka has also owned the WBO Minimumweight and Light Flyweight Crowns and also beat Masayoshi Hashizume in June, 2022 for the WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight Belt. He’s well known for his volume punching and aggression and is an extremely exciting boxer to watch. He turned pro in 2013 after a fine amateur career and has boxed 173 rounds since.
The 30-year-old Cafu is a southpaw who makes the ring walk with a mark of 10-0-3 with 8 Ko’s. He made his pro debut in 2018 and has boxed 73 rounds since. He possesses great power as 80 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage but has gone the distance in two of his last three fights. Cafu’s first draw came in 2018 in his second pro bout when he went four rounds with Landile Ngxeke. He then fought to a 10-round draw with Zolile Miya three fights later and two bouts after that he battled Jackson Chauke to a 12-round draw to win the South African Flyweight Belt in 2022.
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