Santisima challenges Navarrete for WBO belt
Credit to Author: Josef T. Ramos, TMT| Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2020 16:19:27 +0000
Filipino boxer Jeo Santisima will challenge World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico today (Philippine time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in Las Vegas,
Nevada on Saturday. AFP PHOTO
Both fighters achieved the prescribed weight at 122 lbs during the formal weigh-in on Saturday.
Navarrete’s camp preferred Santisima, though the Filipino pug ranks only No. 5 over No. 1 contender Prince Pagara.
“Pagsumabay siya tiyak na merong ma-knockdown sa amin. Napag-aralan ko kung paano mag-adjust sa style niya (If he trades punches with me, one of us will be knocked out. I have already studied how to adjust to his style),” Santisima, 23, told The Manila Times in an interview a week before he flew to the US.
“No. 1 si Pagara ako No. 5. Siguro ako ‘yung choice niya. Wala sa rating ‘yan (Pagara is No. 1 and I’m No. 5. Maybe he chose me because he thought I would be an easy foe. But you can’t based it solely on rating),” added Santisima.
Navarrete (30-1 win-loss record with 26 knockouts) has beaten many Filipino fighters among them Juan Miguel Elorde and Glenn Porras.
He beat Porras by way of second round knockout on January 20, 2018 in Mexico and Elorde via fourth round technical knockout September 14 last year in Las Vegas.
Navarrete also beat Francisco Horta of Mexico via fourth round technical knockout in his last bout December 7 last year in Mexico.
Santisima holds a 19-2 record with 16 knockouts.
The Navarette-Santisima fight is one of the undercard bouts of the rematch between heavyweight boxers Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.