Former national team standout Mark Ashley Fajardo will make his professional debut in mid-October in General Santos City, his new promoter JC Mananquil revealed in Wednesday.

“My plan is to fast-track his rise in the ratings,” said Mananquil, noting that Fajardo will be active and busy once he formally becomes a pro.

Mananquil’s SanMan Boxing signed up Fajardo last month.

Currently, Fajardo is attending to personal matters in Manila but Mananquil expects the heavy-handed Cebuano to relocate to General Santos City in time for his training camp in September.

Before deciding to turn pro, Fajardo represented the Philippines in the Asian Under 23 Championships in Jakarta.

Mananquil said Fajardo’s first fight in the pros will be “a six-rounder against a Filipino opponent.”

“I have to keep him busy because he’s been used to maintaining weight when he was still in the amateur ranks,” Mananquil added.

Fajardo will fight as a super-lightweight when he kicks off his pro career but Mananquil feels that the 21-year-old will eventually grow into a welterweight.

Mananquil’s stable has former World Boxing Council minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem.