Japan’s unified light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji has his next fight date confirmed for Monday, September 18 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, where he faces Hekkie Budler. The contest features reigning WBC and WBA king defending his belts against two-division world champion from South Africa. The world championship bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.
Boxing fans in the United States can watch the event live stream on ESPN+. Broadcast information for Australia is yet to be confirmed.
Kenshiro Teraji (21-1, 13 KOs) makes the second defense of his unified belts. In his previous outing in April he stopped Anthony Olascuaga in the ninth round. The 31-year-old won the championship unification last November, when retaining his WBC title and claiming the WBA belt via seventh-round TKO against Hiroto Kyoguchi. In March 2022, the native of Joyo, Kyoto avenged his sole defeat via third-round KO of Masamichi Yabuki to become a two-time world champion.
Hekkie Budler (35-4, 11 KOs) was in action in May, when he knocked out Wichet Sengprakhon in the first round and secured his third win in a row. Prior to that he won a pair of bouts by unanimous decision against former world champion Elwin Soto and Jonathan Almacen. Johannesburg’s 35-year-old is a former unified WBA and IBF light flyweight champion and former WBA minimumweight titleholder.
In the co-main event, Japan’s newly-crowned undefeated WBO junior bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani puts his title on the line against Argi Cortes of Mexico. The 12-round bout launches world title doubleheader.
25-year-old two-division world champion Nakatani (25-0, 19 KOs) earned the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title by knockout in the 12th round against Andrew Moloney in May. Mexico City’s 28-year-old Cortes (25-3-2, 10 KOs) won his previous bout in March by unanimous decision against Adolfo Castillo Gonzalez and secured his second straight victory.
Teraji vs Budler undercard
Among Teraji vs Budler undercard bouts, Japanbese former kickboxing champion Tenshin Nasukawa (1-0) makes his ring return against Juan Flores Aceves (9-0, 7 KOs) of Mexico. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds at super bantamweight.
In his pro boxing debut in April, Nasukawa defeated Yuki Yonaha by unanimous decision. Aceves won his previous bout in June via eighth-round TKO against then-unbeaten Adolfo Perez Lopez.
Plus, Los Angeles native Anthony Olascuaga (5-1, 3 KOs) is looking to rebound from the defeat suffered against Teraji. He takes on fellow former world title challenger Giemel Magramo (28-3, 23 KOs) of Paranaque City, the Philippines. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds at light flyweight.
Teraji vs Budler fight card
The four-fight Teraji vs Budler televised card looks as the following:
- Kenshiro Teraji vs. Hekkie Budler, 12 rounds, light flyweight – Teraji’s WBC and WBA light flyweight titles
- Junto Nakatani vs. Argi Cortes, 12 rounds, super flyweight – Nakatani’s WBO super flyweight title
- Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Juan Flores Aceves, 8 rounds, super bantamweight
- Anthony Olascuaga vs. Giemel Magramo, 8 rounds, light flyweight
