Victoriano, Ligas in regional title fights in Vietnam

JULES Victoriano and Ben Ligas are seeing action in regional title fights on Thursday, July 30, 2022, at the Grand Ho Tram Strip in Vung Tau City, Vietnam.Victoriano challenges local hero Hong Quan Dinh for his International Boxing Federation (IBF) Asia lightweight strap in the main event of the boxing show promoted by Cocky Buffalo.Victoriano is coming into this fight on a two-fight winning streak following stoppage wins over Jetro Pabustan and Dave Barlas.This is the 24-year-old Victoriano’s second international bout. His first was a fifth round technical knockout to Yoshimitsu Kimura in Japan in 2019.Since his first career defeat in 2019, Dinh is on a roll, winning six straight contests.Dinh won his IBF Asia belt with a unanimous decision over Pinoy Delmar Pellio on April 23.Victoriano is 11-4 with eight knockouts, while Dinh is 8-1-1 with four knockouts.Ligas vs. NazarovOn the other hand, Ligas faces World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental flyweight champion Olimjon Nazarov in the co-main feature.Ligas beat veteran Roland Jay Biendima in his last fight and won the Philippine flyweight belt last March 12. He’ll be a huge underdog against Nazarov, who is closing in on a world title shot.Nazarov is currently ranked No. 4 by the WBO and needs to keep winning if he wants to get his world title opportunity.Nazarov successfully defended his title four times. Three of his four title defenses were against Filipinos—Orlie Silvestre, Michael Mendoza and Jerome Baloro, who he all defeated by unanimous decision.Ligas is 14-2-2 with nine knockouts, while Nazarov is 27-5 with 15 knockouts.