INTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas is set to defend his belt against No. 3 rated Jonathan Javier Rodriguez on April 10, 2021, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.
Ancajas was supposed to fight Rodriguez on April 11, 2020, but the world championship bout was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A year later, he can finally defend his title for the ninth time.
Ancajas has been training alongside Olympian Eumir Marcial and sparring partner Jonas Sultan under coach Joven Jimenez in Los Angeles since October 2020.
The 29-year-old Ancajas last saw action on Dec. 7, 2019, when he defended his belt against Miguel Gonzalez in Pueblo, Mexico. Ancajas destroyed Gonzalez in six rounds.
Ancajas won the IBF belt back in 2016 with a unanimous decision over former Olympian McJoe Arroyo. He successfully defended his belt eight times by fending off the likes of Jose Alfredo Rodriguez, Teiru Kinoshita, Jamie Conlan, Israel Gonzalez, Sultan, Alejandro Santiago Barrios, Ryuichi Funai and Gonzalez.
The 25-year-old Rodriguez, a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is on a roll, winning his last 16 contests. He has fought all of his fights in Mexico but he owns wins over former world title challengers Felipe Orucuta and Julian Yedras, who both knocked out.
Ancajas, unbeaten since 2012, is 32-1-2 with 22 knockouts, while Rodriguez is 22-1 with 16 knockouts. (EKA)