Pugilists Dapudong, Medura, Metuda see action overseas

THREE Pinoy pugs are seeing action overseas on Sept. 3.Former International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight king Edrin Dapudong and Alvin Medura are fighting in separate venues in Japan, while Rimar Metuda is fighting in Thailand.Dapudong takes on fellow world title challenger Ryo Akaho in a 10-round bout at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.After a four-year hiatus, Dapudong, now 36 years old, is looking to get another run at a world title. He challenged then World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight king Hernan “Tyson” Marquez and got knocked out in three rounds in Mexico.Dapudong had a successful ring return with a unanimous decision win over Mark Glen Antaran.Like Dapudong, Akaho is also looking for another shot at a world title. He challenged Yota Sato for the WBC flyweight belt in 2012 but lost via a lopsided unanimous decision. He got his second world title shot three years later and was knocked out by Panya Uthok in the second round of their World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title fight.Akaho is on a hot streak and won his last 12 fights.Dapudong is 35-7-1 with 31 knockouts, while Akaho is 38-2-2 with 25 knockouts.Medura, on the other hand, trades leathers with former world title contender Sho Ishida in an eight-rounder at the Edion Arena in Osaka.Medura is coming off a unanimous decision defeat in Thailand in the hands of Tasana Salapat. He has already fought Japan three times but lost in all those fights.After a close split decision loss to former world champion Kosei Tanaka, Ishida scored an eighth round technical knockout of Carlo Demecillo last April 24. He lost his only world championship fight in 2017 after a unanimous defeat to Khalid Yafai in a WBA super flyweight contest.Medura is 10-6 with seven knockouts, while Ishida is 30-3 with 16 knockouts.On the other hand, Metuda challenges WBA Asia super lightweight champion Phoobadin Yoohanngoh at the Spaceplus Bangkok RCA in Bangkok.Metuda won his last three fights, beating Jhesriel Agrabio, Nelson Gulpe and Eden Sonsona.Yoohanngoh is fresh from a second round knockout over former ALA Boy Elmo Traya in June.Metuda is 15-6-1 with nine knockouts, while Yoohanngoh is 14-0 with nine knockouts.