Regie Suganob just went to No. 1 in the WBO light flyweight rankings.
Up from No. 3.
And here's the thing — that's not even his main route.
Suganob is already the IBF mandatory challenger.
He earned it the hard way in September, in front of his own people in Tagbilaran City, stopping two-time world champion Sivenathi Nontshinga in the fifth round of their eliminator rematch.
So who's waiting at the end of that road ?
Thailand's Thanongsak Simsri.
41-1. 36 KOs.
Two weeks after Suganob's win, Simsri dropped Mark Vicelles twice and stopped him in round two in Japan.
The man can PUNCH.
And he knows the Filipino is next — the mandatory has to happen by the end of January.
Philippines v Thailand. A world title on the line. That's a fight Southeast Asia will stop for.
Suganob's team say the IBF shot is the one they want — and the dream is to bring a world championship belt home to Bohol for the first time.
One door open. Now another one creaking.
Can the Phenom take the power of Simsri ?
Or does the Thai champion turn the mandatory into another early night ?
Nothing signed yet.
But the clock is ticking !!
🇵🇭 REGIE SUGANOB (19-1, 8 KOs) vs THANONGSAK SIMSRI (41-1, 36 KOs) 🇹🇭
🥊 IBF Light Flyweight World Championship (mandatory — not yet signed)
📅 Due by end of January 2027
📺 TBA
Stay tuned !
Sources:
Cebu Daily News, Glendale G. Rosal (12 Nov 2026) — https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/784489/suganob-iwata-boxing-match-rekindled-by-latest-wbo-rankings
3Kings Boxing (26 Sep 2026) — https://3kingsboxing.com/thanongsak-simsri-destroys-vicelles-eyes-suganob-showdown/
The Ring — https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/suganob-stops-nontshinga-in-5th-to-win-title-eliminator-bajtKSWACvgTNzoEQWVNK
"The Ferocious" Carlo Magali looking absolutely shredded at the BATTLEFIELD weigh in just moments ago.
National champion Magali takes on the unbeaten freak talent King's Warrior Charly Suarez in a bout which will decide both RP and WBA Asia titles.
Both fighters weighed in within the Super Featherweight limit at 129 pounds.
Action takes place tomorrow at the Elorde Sports Centre in Parañaque.
Perhaps one of the unluckiest boxers in recent months is high octane performer Jino Rodrigo. The "Silent Beast" has been the victim of multiple fight cancelations, including an international challenge in Kazakhstan. But Borat's loss is Philippines' gain, and the big news breaking today is that GAB has approved the late inclusion of Rodrigo at BATTLEFIELD UKC TIGER 2O22.
Jino Rodrigo takes on a previous opponent in Kelvin Tenorio, a fighter who he edged a points victory over back in 2018. Tenorio managed to survive onslaughts from top prospects like Jose Roda Jr and Carlo Bacaro, so this should be a really good clash.
And Jino is a MADMAN !
You will never see the Silent Beast in a boring fight - this is a guy that always tries to put the judges out of a job !
If there is a Knockout to be had, Jino Rodrigo is the man to deliver it, because he carries the sleeping pills in both hands !
BATTLEFIELD UKC TIGER 2O22
Elorde Sports Centre Paranaque Manila Sunday October 23rd
Despite suffering narrow losses, Ben Ligas and Jules Victoriano produced next level performances in the belt fights in Vietnam last night.
Ligas faced the vastly experienced Uzbek, the much revered "mini Tyson " Olimjon Nazarov. This was quality boxing from both, with "the Sniper" bringing the cleaner punches, but perhaps lacking the aggression of Nazarov, who looked constantly keen for work. This was a hard match to score, as neither fighter was particularly dominant in a see sawing affair, and the body shot in the 11th where Ligas took a knee was perhaps the only real difference.
Dinh Hong Quan is physically indomitable, and with his height and reach, this improving Vietnam boxer is a task for anybody. It was anticipated that Jules Victoriano would give him his toughest test to date, and he definitely didn't disappoint !
This was a great fight, and is probably best viewed in two parts. Victoriano boxed beautifully in the early rounds, but despite landing nice shots, the Vietnam champ kept stealing rounds with some heavier and more direct landed shots. Quan also "appeared" more dominant, more frequently backing Victoriano up and putting him on to combos.
Going into the second half of the fight, Victoriano definitely lifted his output and accuracy, and even gave the Vietnam opponent a couple of "dig deep" moments !
This was an exciting and fantastic match up, that very easily could have been scored a draw, it was that evenly contested! There is no doubt that Dinh Hong Quan produced the best performance of his career last night, and this was really needed because of the beautiful boxing skills displayed by Jules Victoriano.
VSP would love to see these two great young fighters rematch at a later date, maybe on a bigger stage!
Post event, all smiles, and pictured are Coach Toto Laurente, Ben Ligas, VSP Vietnam boss Lim Song, and Jules Victoriano. Great job by all !
