Sultan fights in Inoue-Ancajas undercard

Jonas Sultan (left) and Riku Masuda (right). | Facebook and Tapology photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former world title challenger Jonas “Zorro” Sultan joins former world champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas in the same fight card on February 24, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.

Sultan will face Japanese newcomer Riku Masuda in an eight-rounder bout in the undercard of Ancajas’ world title duel against Takuma Inoue.

READ: Inoue has power and speed to dominate featherweight division, but…

Why Sultan-Masuda fight was moved

Sultan and Masuda were supposedly scheduled to fight last November 15, 2023, at the same venue in the same fight card featuring Inoue and Ancajas.

However, the fight card was ultimately postponed to February 24, 2024, after Inoue suffered a rib injury during training.

READ: Inoue KOs Tapales, becomes undisputed super bantamweight champ

Sultan on comeback road

The 32-year-old Sultan, Ancajas’ stablemate under Sean Gibbons, is on the comeback road. 

He recently won a comeback fight against American Frank Gonzales in an eight-rounder unanimous decision in Plant City, United States, last September.

It was 17 months after Sultan lost to British Paul Butler for the WBO Interim World Bantamweight title held in Liverpool, England, in April 2022. 

READ: Casimero-Inoue fight possible in 2024, says international judge

How Pinoy boxer earned title shot

Sultan earned the title shot in the last minute after fellow Filipino Johnriel Casimero was disqualified after getting caught cutting weight using the sauna. 

It violated the British Boxing Board of Control’s weight-cutting rules. 

Fast forward to September 2023, Sultan, a former WBO Inter-Continental bantamweight champion, returned to his winning ways.

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Fight record of ‘Zorro’

Sultan currently has 19 wins with 11 knockouts and six defeats. He is a one-time world title challenger in 2018 against Ancajas, who was the IBF world super flyweight champion at that time. Ancajas won by unanimous decision. 

Meanwhile, Masuda, 26, has a 3-1 (win-loss) record with three knockouts. Masuda, a prospect of Teiken Promotions, absorbed his lone defeat in the hands of Seiya Tsutsumi for the Japan Boxing Commission bantamweight title last year.