Llover defends title against Chinese in Japan

Undefeated Filipino champion Kenneth Llover tangles with Chinese challenger Ayati Sailike in the second defense of the Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight title on 27 December at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.

Llover, coming off a first-round stoppage over Luciano Baldor of Argentina in a non-title fight held in Kyrgyzstan last October, is eager to get into active duty.

“This is my last fight of the year and I want no less than an impressive performance,” Llover, 22, said.

Llover holds a 16-0-0 win-loss-draw card with 11 knockouts while Sailike, who hails from the far-flung city of Urumqi, has a 12-9-3 mark with five knockouts.

Two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa, who represents Llover, believes his fighter is slowly inching closer to a world title shot next year.

“He (Sailike) is not an opponent we can overlook,” Peñalosa said.

Like Llover, Sailike is also a lefty.