NAGOYA, Japan – Filipino boxer Kenneth Llover suffered his first professional defeat after dropping a split-decision loss to undefeated American Michael Angeletti in their International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title eliminator on Saturday, June 6, at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname.

Two judges scored the bout 116-111 and 115-112 in favor of Angeletti, who extended his perfect record to 15-0. The third judge saw the fight 115-112 for the 24-year-old Cavite native, whose own unbeaten streak ended at 17-0.

Despite the setback, Llover remained optimistic about his future in the sport, viewing the loss as a crucial learning experience.

“Sa’kin naman po, yung pagkatalo is part ng boxing yan. Kumbaga yung pagkatalo natural yan sa champion, natural na pagdadaanan yang mga bagay. Diyan ka magiging matibay,” said the ArenaPlus ambassador after the fight.

The 5-foot-6 fighter added that the result has only motivated him to work harder.

“Hindi naman lahat pagdadaanan kailangan tagumpay. Darating sa point ng buhay mo na mararanasan mong matalo,” Llover said. “Pero di naman dahil doon, na matatalo ka, doon mo na ititigil yung career mo. Tuloy lang.”

Official sports sponsor ArenaPlus expressed continued support for the Filipino boxer following the match.

“Kenneth’s journey is only beginning. Every great boxer faces adversity at some point in his career, and this experience will only help him grow,” said Erick Su, Head of ArenaPlus. “We are proud of the way he carried himself inside and outside the ring. We have no doubt he will learn from this fight and come back even stronger.”

Llover is expected to take a rest period while his management team determines the next steps for his boxing career.

“Sa mga kababayan namin sa Pilipinas at sa ArenaPlus family, maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo, sa patuloy na suporta,” Llover said. “Hindi lang hanggang dito boxing career natin. Mas pag-iigihan pa natin. Laban lang, Pilipinas.”