Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas, Alexandro Santiago vs. Junto Nakatani fight date, start time: Saturday, February 24 at 4 am ET live on ESPN+ / 9 am UK time
Santiago – Nakatani and Inoue – Ancajas are about to turn your early morning yawn into a wide-eyed spectacle on Saturday, February 24. For those in the US, the show kicks off at the ungodly hour of 4 am ET, while our friends across the pond in the UK can join the party at a slightly more civilized 9 am. As the sun peeks over the horizon, the main event fighters will make their grand entrance to the ring around 6 am ET / 11 am UK time, with Inoue expected to strut his stuff an hour earlier.
Junto Nakatani and Alexandro Santiago both hit the mark on the scales, setting the stage for Santiago’s initial defense of his WBC bantamweight belt, a prestigious title he grabbed from Nonito Donaire last year in Las Vegas.
Stepping on the scales with a cool demeanor, Nakatani clocked in at 117.5 lbs, with Santiago following suit, barely making a dent at 117.75 lbs.
The co-main event throws Takuma Inoue (18-1, 4KOs) into the ring, defending his title against the erstwhile ruler of the IBF super flyweight domain, Jerwin Ancajas (34-3-2, 23KOs). This clash marks Inoue’s inaugural defense of his WBA bantamweight crown, with both warriors weighing in at a matching 117.75 lbs.
Former WBO champ across three divisions, Kosei Tanaka (19-1, 11KOs), is squaring off against Christian Bacasegua Rangel (22-4-2, 9KOs) for the vacant WBO super flyweight title. Both combatants tipped the scales at an identical 114.7 lbs, promising an evenly matched battle.
This bout and the entire card will be streamed live on ESPN+ for the US audience.
Start Time
- Event: Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas
- Date: Saturday, February 24
- US Start Time: 4 am ET
- UK Start Time: 9 am UK time
- Main Event Ringwalks (Approx.): 6 am ET / 11 am UK time
- Inoue’s Ringwalk (Likely): 5 am ET / 10 am UK time
- Broadcast: LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Fight Card: Alexandro Santiago vs. Junto Nakatani, Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas, Kosei Tanaka vs. Christian Bacasegua, Jonas Sultan vs. Riku Masuda
