FORMER ALA boy Jimmy Paypa and veteran three-time world title challenger Jessebelle Pagaduan fight for World Boxing Council (WBC) regional belts today, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Spaceplus Bangkok RCA in Thailand.
Paypa locks horns with Iranian hard-hitter Mahdi Sarbaz for the vacant WBC Asia Continental light-welterweight strap.
“It’s a very important fight for me because it’s a WBC Asia belt for the Philippines,” the 31-year-old Paypa told SunStar Cebu.
Following a three-fight losing streak, Paypa decided to hang up his gloves in 2018 and pursued a career as a trainer at Monarch MMA in Malaysia.
However, Paypa felt he still has unfinished business inside the ring and made a comeback after a six-year hiatus. He returned to the ring earlier this year and scored a first-round stoppage of experienced Thai boxer Campee Phayom.
The 28-year-old Sarbaz, on the other hand, just turned pro this year. After winning his first two fights, Sarbaz suffered his first career loss by unanimous decision in the hands of 18-year-old Bangladeshi prospect Emon Tongchangya in Bangladesh. He bounced back with stoppage wins over unbeaten fighters Joel Lewis and Walid El Kehal.
Paypa is 20-6-1 with eight knockouts, while Sarbaz is 4-1 with four knockouts.
Meanwhile, Pagaduan faces Thai fighter Peeyalux Sanpokang for the WBC Asia Continental women’s light-flyweight belt.
Like Paypa, Pagaduan also had a long layoff and returned this year. She took a break after losing to Tenkai Tsunami via an eight-round technical knockout in a WBO Women’s light-flyweight title fight in Japan in 2019. Pagaduan won both of her fights this year by beating Panumad Bubpamalo and Pimchanok Thepjanda.
Sanpokang also won her last two bouts. She stopped Sirikon Klangcharoen in the first round and defeated Hin Ting Chan to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) International Women’s light-flyweight belt.
The 40-year-old Pagaduan is 14-2-1 with five knockouts, while Sanpokang is 8-3 with six knockouts.
Also seeing action in the undercard are Pinoy warriors Renato Cha Jr. and Renden Oppas.
Cha (2-0-1, 2 KOs) locks horns with Russian Kishrav Kuranbaev (2-1), while Oppas (2-1, 2 KOs) slugs it out with Naruebet Konnuam (2-1, 2 KOs). / EKA