ONE-TIME world title challenger Vince Paras will return to the ring next week on Feb. 26, 2026, when he faces veteran Jaysever Abcede in an eight-round bout at the Villa Kristen Resort and Hotel in General Santos City.
The 27-year-old Paras is hoping to bounce back after losing his most recent fight to South African boxer Ricardo Malajika by unanimous decision in an eliminator bout under the International Boxing Federation (IBF) for the No. 2 spot in South Africa last Nov. 29, 2025.
Before losing to Malajika, Paras was ranked as high as No. 4 by the IBF. He has since dropped out of the IBF rankings but is still ranked No. 13 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
Paras once challenged for a world title in 2018 when he fought then-IBF minimumweight champion Kenshiro Teraji but lost by unanimous decision in Japan.
Abcede, meanwhile, is a former regional champion who has fought several top names in his division, including Kazuto Ioka, Masataka Taniguchi, Seigo Akui, Wanheng Menayothin, and Panya Pradabsri.
The 31-year-old Abcede is coming off a second-round stoppage loss to Reymart Tagacanao.
Paras owns a record of 24 wins, four losses, and one draw with 18 knockouts, while Abcede has a 22-15 record with 13 knockouts.
Meanwhile, Pete Apolinar (18-7-1, 11 knockouts) will fight Renan Portes (14-20, seven knockouts) in the co-main event. / EKA