Marlon Tapales. | CDN Digital photo / Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Former two-division world champion Marlon “Nightmare” Tapales will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Asian Continental super bantamweight title against India’s Saurabh Kumar on September 7 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
This marks Tapales’ first title defense since he claimed the belt in May, dispatching Thailand’s Nattapong Jankaew with a devastating first-round knockout in Manila.
At 32, Tapales is on a mission of redemption. The former WBO bantamweight and unified WBA and IBF super bantamweight champion is determined to bounce back after a tough loss to Japanese phenom Naoya Inoue last December, where he surrendered his super bantamweight titles via a 10th-round knockout in Tokyo.
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This time, Tapales faces a younger and less experienced opponent in the 28-year-old Kumar.
Kumar, boasting a record of 11 wins (6 KOs), 1 loss, and 1 draw, is stepping into the ring against a seasoned veteran.
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Tapales, with a wealth of experience from 42 professional fights, presents a significant challenge for the Indian fighter.
Kumar has previously contested the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental super bantamweight title but fell short, losing by technical knockout to China’s Zhong Liu last year in Wuhan—his first fight outside India.
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This year, Kumar has fought twice, securing a win and a draw against fellow countrymen Shivam Sharma and Iarapborsing Kharbani, respectively.
Despite these setbacks, Kumar is no pushover. He once held an impressive 10-fight winning streak early in his career.
However, Tapales’ record—38 wins (20 KOs) and 4 losses—casts a long shadow over the Indian’s achievements.
For Tapales, this fight serves as a critical tune-up as he eyes bigger bouts before the year ends.
Highly ranked across three major boxing organizations—No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the IBF, and No. 4 by the WBA—Tapales is positioning himself for a potential rematch with Inoue, who currently holds all four major belts in the super bantamweight division.