Ancajas eyes redemption vs Japanese foe

MANILA, Philippines – IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas is gunning for a decisive win this time when he stakes his crown against Japan’s Ryuichi Funai on Saturday at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California (Sunday morning Manila time).

The 27-year-old Ancajas sees his upcoming title defense as a shot at redemption following a lackluster performance the last time he defended his belt — against the gritty Alejandro Santiago Barrios of Mexico in September last year.

Ancajas struggled against Barrios, but was lucky to walk away with the championship when their fight — held in Oakland, California — ended in a split draw.

"My last fight — my sixth title defense against Alejandro Santiago Barrios — was a hard fight for me,” Ancajas said at the final pre-fight presser Thursday (Friday Manila time).

Now, the pride of Magallanes, Cavite wants to erase that bitter memory with a rousing win over Funai (31-7, with 22 KOs), a veteran who is only fighting for a world title for the first time.

"The last time I fought, I was not happy with the result. For this fight, we did some different things in training to prepare 100 percent for the challenge in front of us,” Ancajas added.

Although younger by a few years, Ancajas brings with him a huge edge in experience over Funai, having defended the IBF 115-pound strap for six times already. The Japanese, on the other hand, had only fought for and won local and regional crowns.

But the defending champion remains wary of his challenger.

“This will be my seventh title defense. We are confident, but we respect the challenge in front of us. Funai is a good, tough fighter," said Ancajas, adding that they’re ready for whatever Funai brings to the table on fight day.

“We prepared for all different types of styles, which will help me adjust as the fight goes on. My sparring partners were excellent, and you will see the result of that training on Saturday night," he continued.

For his part, Funai is out to spoil the fun for Ancajas.

"I see him as a very talented fighter who can do many different things in the ring. It is my job to make his job more difficult," said the 33-year-old fighter from Tokyo.

"I am extremely excited to put on a great performance. I have a strong heart, and I will be aggressive. I thank Ancajas for the opportunity, but I am here to become the new champion," Funai said.