AT 43 YEARS old, Filipino boxing legend Nonito Donaire Jr. hopes to earn another world title shot as he fights Japanese prospect Riku Masuda in a World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight title eliminator on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.
Both Donaire and Masuda tipped the scales at 117.7 pounds.
The winner of the world title eliminator becomes the mandatory challenger of current WBA bantamweight king Seiya Tsutsumi.
Donaire was so close at breaking his own record of becoming the oldest bantamweight world champion at 42 last year when he fought Tsutsumi in Japan. It was a closely-contested fight but two judges favored Tsutsumi, giving him a split decision win.
Masuda has youth by his side. At 28, he’s 15 years younger than Donaire. After losing to Tsutsumi, when he was still a prospect in 2023, Masuda won sixth straight fight. He defeated the likes of former world title challenger Jonas Sultan, Fumiya Fuse, Kaisei Matsumo, Michell Banquez and Jose Miguel Calderon.
Masuda is coming off a technical decision win over Calderon last Nov. 24, 2025.
Donaire, who’s been fighting as a pro for over 25 years, is 43-9 with 28 knockouts, while Masuda is 9-1 with eight knockouts. / EKA