Marlon Tapales (right) and India’s Saurabh Kumar (left) hold the WBC Asian Continental super bantamweight title during their weigh-in in Cambodia. | Photo from Sanman Boxing
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former world champion Marlon “Nightmare” Tapales is set to trade leather with India’s Saurabh Kumar after both fighters passed the official weigh-in for their regional title showdown in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Tapales and Kumar faced off for the first time during the official weigh-in on Friday, September 6. Tapales will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Asian Continental Super Bantamweight title against Kumar in a 10-round bout.
The 32-year-old Tapales, a former two-division world champion, weighed in at 121.7 pounds, while Kumar came in slightly lighter at 120.6 pounds.
This will be Tapales’ second fight of 2024 after he captured the WBC regional title last May against Thailand’s Nattapong Jankaew via an impressive first-round knockout in Manila.
It was an excellent comeback for Tapales, who lost his WBA and IBF super bantamweight titles to Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue last December in their world title unification bout in Tokyo.
This time, Tapales will face a younger, less experienced opponent in the 28-year-old Kumar. The Indian prospect, with a record of 11 wins (6 KOs), 1 loss, and 1 draw, is stepping into the ring against an elite opponent in Tapales.
Tapales, by comparison, boasts a record of 38 wins, 20 knockouts, and 4 defeats. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the IBF, and No. 4 by the WBA, positioning himself for a potential rematch with Inoue, who currently holds all four major belts in the super bantamweight division.
Meanwhile, Kumar recently won against fellow Indian Shivam Sharma last February via a fourth-round TKO.