CEBU, Philippines — The undefeated Filipino super flyweight contender Jade “Hurricane” Bornea is all pumped up for his International Boxing Federation elimination bout against relatively unknown Moroccan-Italian Mohammed “Maraviglia” Obbadi on January 14 (January 15, Phl time) in Monterrey, México.
Approved by the IBF as a final eliminator, the winner of the Bornea-Obbadi duel will become the mandatory challenger to IBF 115-pound champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas, Bornea’s countryman.
The 26-year-old Bornea, who hails from Arakan, North Cotabato, carries a perfect 16-0 mark spiked with 10KOs.
He has only fought once outside of his homeland, eking out a well-deserved split decision win over Ernesto Delgadillo of Dallas, Texas in a battle of unbeaten junior bantamweights on January 30,2020 at the Takama Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington.
In his only ring appearance since the pandemic, the IBF-rated No.7 Bornea edged his compatriot Roland Jay Biendima via 10-round unanimous decision on April 30 last year at the Sanman Gym in General Santos City.
If victorious, Bornea will most likely set up another all-Pinoy world championship match against Ancajas, who is slated to defend his IBF belt against Argentine challenger Fernando Daniel Martínez next month in the US.
On the other hand, the 28-year-old Obbadi parades a 22-1 record laced with 13KOs. He is currently ranked No.3 by the IBF but it seems that his name doesn’t ring a bell.
Since absorbing his first and only career loss by seventh-round stoppage at the hands of Nicaragua’s Cristofer Rosales during their WBC International flyweight title bout in October 2017, Obbadi is on a nine-fight winning streak that perhaps catapulted him to the lofty IBF rankings.