WORLD-RANKED Jessie Espinas faces former world title challenger Komgrich Nantapech on March 28, 2026 at the World Siam Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Espinas is on a career resurgence, having won his last four fights. He had a rough part of his career from 2018 to 2023, wherein he lost five of nine bouts.
Last year, the 33-year-old Espinas won two regional belts. He stopped Chinese Jingtao Cao in five rounds to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) Asian super-flyweight strap in China and knocked out April Jay Abne in the eighth round to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Asia flyweight belt.
Espinas is currently ranked in two weight divisions. He’s rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in the light-flyweight division and No. 9 by the WBC in the flyweight division.
The 36-year-old Nantapech, once ranked as high as No. 4 by the IBF, fought for a world title in 2017. He lost to Filipino legend Donnie Nietes by a lopsided unanimous decision in an IBF flyweight contest in Cebu City.
These days, Nantapech has become a gatekeeper that tests young and upcoming fighters if they are ready for the next level.
Espinas is 25-7 with 15 knockouts, while Nantapech has a record of 42-19-1 with 32 knockouts.
Also seeing action in the show is Filipino Leboy Atencio.
Atencio (7-1, 4 KOs) locks horns with Thai journeyman Sukpasried Ponphitak (33-25, 23 KOs) in an Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) featherweight title bout. / EKA