PINOY veteran Jetro Pabustan looks to upset fellow former world title challenger Tramaine Williams in a 10-rounder on Aug. 13 at the Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley in Arizona.
The 32-year-old Pabustan is looking to log his second straight win by beating Willams in his US debut. He’s coming off a split decision win over Bryan Tamayo after losing his last two fights before that.
Pabustan has already fought in the elite level, losing to Panya Uthok in a world title fight and recently retired Hiroaki Teshigawara.
Pabustan challenged then World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Uthok in 2016 and lost via a seventh round technical decision in Thailand after the fight was stopped due to a cut on his left eyebrow. He would win the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight strap after beating Japanese Tatsuya Takahashi via technical decision in 2017. He immediately lost his belt that same year, in his first title defense, after losing to Teshigawara via a 10th round technical knockout.
The 29-year-old Williams is coming off a two-year layoff since his loss to a world title fight with Angelo Leo in 2020 in Uncasville. Williams lost via a lopsided unanimous decision to Leo for the vacant WBO super bantamweight strap.
Williams owns wins over veterans Christopher Martin, Yenifel Vicente, Christopher Martin, Neil John Tabanao and Jose Alfredo Rodriguez.
Pabustan is 31-9-6 with nine knockouts while Williams is 19-1 with six knockouts.
Also seeing action is the same card is Pinoy Jeronil Borres (11-7-1, 6 KOs).
Borres takes on unbeaten Ghanaian prospect Mohamed Aryeetey (7-0, 5 KOs).