FORMER world champion Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo failed to regain his world champion status when he lost by unanimous decision to Jing Xiang for the vacant World Boxing Council silver light flyweight title held at Qinzhou Sports Center gymnasium in Qinzhou, China.

Judge Hisatoshi Miyazaki scored the fight, 119-109; Chaveng Krutkate, 117-111, and Kyoung Ha Shin, 118-110, all for the newly-crowned champion.

It was Sabillo's back to back losses after yielding his Asian Boxing Federation belt to Edward Heno via split decision in Bacolod City.

With Tiger losing power in his tank he now dropped his professional record to 27 wins, six losses and a draw with 13 stoppages.

Aside from the title, Xiang improved his record to 15 victories, four defeats and a pair of draws with three knockouts.

Another Negrense Jay-R Raquinel (10 wins, a draw with 7 KOs) is set to invade China on September 28 for the WBC silver flyweight title.

The Cauayan-native Raquinel, the reigning Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation flyweight titlist, will face Chinese Wulan Tuolehazi (8 wins, 3 defeats, and a draw with 4 KOs) in Changsha, China.

Raquinel is on a winning streak including back-to-back knock-out triumphs in Japan against Japanese fighters Shun Kosaka and Keisuke Nakayama. (HGD)