FORMER world title challenger Regie Suganob proved he is still one of the top boxers in his division after stopping South African veteran Siphamandla Baleni in the eighth round.
The fight was the main event of PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions’ “Kumong Bol-anon XXIV” last Feb. 28, 2026, at the Bohol Cultural Center.
Strong Performance
The 28-year-old Suganob showed better speed and skills throughout the match. In the eighth round, he landed a powerful overhand right that hurt Baleni and forced him to take a knee.
Baleni’s coach, Jake Khangelani, decided to protect his fighter and threw in the towel, which is a sign that a team wants to stop the fight. The referee officially ended the match at the 39-second mark of Round 8. The win was recorded as a technical knockout (TKO).
Suganob improved his record to 18 wins and 1 loss, with 7 knockouts. Baleni, 35, fell to 21 wins, 9 losses, and 2 draws.
Eyeing a World Title Shot
After his victory, Suganob called out world champion Rene Santiago, who currently holds the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) light-flyweight titles.
Suganob said he hopes Santiago will finally agree to fight him. He shared that he even took a long break before while trying to secure that match.
Right now, Suganob is ranked No. 3 by the WBO, No. 5 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), and No. 6 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). His team said they are willing to bring the fight to Bohol. If a title fight does not happen soon, they may aim for an IBF eliminator match, which decides the next official challenger.
Pacquiao Impresses in Supporting Bout
In the main supporting fight, Eman Bacosa Pacquiao continued his unbeaten run with a fourth-round stoppage of Indonesia’s Reynold Kundimang.
Pacquiao, the son of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, dropped Kundimang five times before finishing the fight with a strong body shot at the 2:26 mark of Round 4.
Another exciting fight saw Joseph Sumabong score a sixth-round knockout over Roland Toyogon. Sumabong ended the match with a hard left hook to the body late in the round.
Other Results
In other matches:
* Christian Balunan knocked out Roldan Sasan in the second round.
* Shane Gentallan and Leonard Pores III both won by unanimous decision.
* Reymart Tagacanao scored a first-round knockout.
* Jericho Acaylar and Jick-Kier Autida also won their fights by unanimous decision.