HARD-HITTING Miel Fajardo is a step closer to a world title shot as he battles Argentinean fighter Tobias Reyes in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight world title eliminator on April 11, 2026, in Santa Fe, Argentina.
The winner of the eliminator will become the mandatory challenger to the reigning IBF champion Masamichi Yabuki.
Fajardo is rated No. 4, while Reyes is the No. 3 flyweight contender in the IBF rankings.
After losing both his fights in 2024, the 26-year-old Fajardo staged a career resurgence by winning back-to-back bouts last year.
He opened 205 with a quick first-round knockout of Miller Alapormina, then defeated world-rated Esneth Domingo by unanimous decision to win the IBF Pan Pacific flyweight belt.
The 28-year-old Reyes, on the other hand, is no stranger to world title eliminators. In 2024, he fought veteran former world champion Felix Alvarado in an IBF flyweight title eliminator in Nicaragua but fell short, losing by close majority decision.
Following that defeat, Reyes bounced back with two straight wins in 2025. He stopped Jeanfran Medina in the third round to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino flyweight title and successfully defended his belt later that year with unanimous decision victory against previously unbeaten Pedro Alarcon.
Fajardo has an impressive record of 13-3-2 with 11 knockouts, while Reyes boasts an 18-1-1 slate with 16 knockouts. / EKA