Fajardo-Yabuki slugfest could be over fast

Don’t blink.

The world flyweight championship fight between Filipino challenger Miel Fajardo and Japanese defending champion Masamichi Yabuki on 26 November in Tokyo could end anytime.

Takashi Takizawa, head trainer of the reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight titleholder, said “it will be a match you can’t take your eyes off from the first round.”

Fajardo, according to Takizawa, is “a fighter with strong left and right punches who swings with full force.”

Like Fajardo, Yabuki is also known as a heavy hitter, having a win-loss-draw record of 20-4-0 with 18 knockouts.

Fajardo, in contrast, packs a 14-3-2 mark with 12 knockouts, including seven in the first round.

Even Yabuki, 34, acknowledges the serious threat being posed by Fajardo, who seems to be the fresher and much younger at just 26.

“My opponent is also a fighter with a very high KO rate, so I think it will be a very dangerous match,” added Yabuki, who will be defending the title for the third time since winning it with a 12th round knockout of Angel Ayala of Mexico in March last year.

Fajardo, hailing from San Francisco in Agusan del Sur, is currently spending the first phase of his preparation in Hong Kong under the watchful eyes of his chief handler Lennon Tsoi.

He brought along a sparring partner in one-time world title challenger Jayson Vayson, who works with him thrice a week.

In about two weeks, Fajardo will fly back to the Philippines for the toughest grind of his buildup at the Elorde Sports Center in Parañaque.

Fajardo earned the right to become Yabuki’s mandatory challenger last April in Argentina when he crushed local fighter Tobias Reyes in less than a round.

Yabuki, who recently joined pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue over at Ohashi Promotions, beat Mexican Rene Calixto in his last defense a few months back in Nagoya.