Ancajas title defense set on Sept. 14

KUALA LUMPUR — IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas is sticking to his plan to stay busy this year, announcing that he’ll return to the ring on September 14 for his sixth title defense.

In a press briefing Friday at Favola restaurant inside the Le Meridien Hotel, Ancajas’ team — led by international matchmaker Sean Gibbons — said the rising star will again see action in Fresno, California, where his fight against countryman Jonas Sultan last May had been well received.

Gibbons said Ancajas’ next opponent will be finalized in the next two weeks.

“We want someone who fights very aggressively,” said Gibbons, who along with Team Ancajas is in town to see Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Lucas Matthysse on Sunday.

The Las Vegas-based matchmaker added that they are looking to pit Ancajas against either Tijiuana-based Alejandro Santiago Barrios (16-2, with 7 KOs) or Miguel Gonzalez (28-1, with 6 KOs) of Chile.

He said the goal for Ancajas would be to prepare for a big fight next year — a showdown with Mexican Juan Estrada or a unification with Thai star Wisaksil Wangek, the reigning WBC super flyweight champion.

“The idea is for Jerwin to keep working for the rest of 2018. He has his eyes on the big prize like the Estradas, the Rungvisais,” Gibbons continued

Ancajas, for his part, is raring to defend the title he won from McJoe Arroyo in Taguig City two years ago.

“Lagi naman kaming nakahanda sa conditioning,” said the Magallanes, Cavite based Ancajas, who also received a special ring from the IBF during the briefing for his consecutive successful title defenses.

The 26-year-old fighter said he had been training the past two weeks at the famed “Survival Camp” of trainer Joven Jimenez, also playing basketball to stay in shape.

Prior to outpointing Sultan in their historic all-Filipino title fight, Ancajas knocked out Israel Gonzalez last February to open the year with a bang.