Now ranked No. 10 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), former world junior-bantamweight king Jerwin Ancajas takes another step towards his mission of getting one final shot at a world crown when he battles the three-time world title challenger Richie Mepranum on 18 January in Iligan CIty.

The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds with the Philippine super-bantamweight title on the line.

This will be Ancajas’ first outing since September last year in Mandaluyong City where he won on a disqualification against Thailand’s Sukpraserd Ponpitak.

Ancajas believes he can still fight for a world crown and win one despite suffering a sixth-round knockout to Takuma Inoue of Japan early last year in Tokyo.

But Ancajas, who turned 33 on New Year’s Day, has to get past Mepranum, who fought vied unsuccessfully thrice in world title fights in 2010, 2014 and 2016.

Ancajas enters the ring with a 35-4-2 win-loss-card with 23 knockouts while Mepranum parades a 37-9-1 mark with 12 knockouts.

Ancajas is about four years younger and badly needs a big victory to keep his dream alive.

Mepranum had been with some of the very best in a roller-coaster career.

Despite losing to Carlos Cuadras, Juan Francisco Estrada and Julio Cesar Miranda with the world championship at stake, he beat the hard-hitting Hernan “Tyson” Marquez of Mexico in their first encounter.

If victorious against Mepranum, Ancajas will remain the mix for that coveted crack at the IBF 122-lb throne that will soon be vacated by Naoya Inoue.