Unified WBA and WBO light flyweight world boxing champion Rene Santiago will defend his titles on Friday, April 3, when he faces the former world champion, Masataka Taniguchi, at the legendary Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The two fighters came face to face at Wednesday’s press conference, where both made it clear that victory is the only option.
Santiago (15-4, 9 KOs), riding the wave of his career best year in 2025 when he captured both belts, arrives in Japan as confident despite an underdog’s status.
“I feel 100% focused and ready for my fight,” Santiago said. “I want to keep showing my skills to the Japanese fans while I go for my third straight win on their soil. I will give everything I have to return to Puerto Rico with my titles.”
The 33-year-old cemented his elite status by defeating Shokichi Iwata and Kyosuke Takami last year, completing one of the most impressive comebacks in recent light flyweight history. Looking ahead, Santiago has not ruled out a potential rematch with Iwata, now the reigning WBC champion, should he emerge victorious on Friday.
Taniguchi (25-1, 15 KOs), though, issued a strong warning as he fights in front of his home crowd. “I have to be better than Santiago for 12 rounds, or 36 minutes,” he said. “I won’t let him do whatever he wants.”
“Santiago will go home empty-handed.”
Taniguchi fought twice in 2025, most notably scoring a fifth round TKO over Takeru Inoue to claim the OPBF light flyweight title.
The event, the 12th edition of Treasure Boxing, is promoted by former world champion Masayuki Ito and features a co-main event between former world champions Yukinori Oguni and Marlon Tapales over ten rounds.
All systems are go in Tokyo for a night where Santiago aims to extend his dominance at 108 pounds, while Taniguchi seeks to reclaim his place on the world stage in front of his fans.
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