AFTER his heartbreaking loss to McJoe Arroyo for the vacant IBF junior bantamweight title, Bago City’s “King” Arthur Villanueva got another window for a world championship fight this coming April.
The 28-year-old Villanueva will face former IBF junior bantamweight champion Zolani Tete (24-3, 20 knockouts) on April 8 at Manchester Arena in England.
The erstwhile South African titleholder vacated his title and moved up in another weight.
The winner will become the mandatory challenger to Filipino World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales.
Villanueva said Tete is not easy to fight with.
“He is a world champion. He’s good, strong, and a tough opponent. Although I saw only a few highlights of his fights, his style might change during the actual fight,” he said.
The Filipino fighter admitted that he felt anxious fighting in a foreign land as it’s hard to win abroad.
“But I’m confident with how my preparation progresses as well as with my team. The world championship is my motivation against Tete,” he said.
Villanueva’s team will leave for Manchester a week before the fight.