
While everybody talks about Naoya and Bam…
…his brother just got handed a big job of his own.
The WBC has ordered bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue to defend against No. 1 contender Andrew Cain of Liverpool.
Another mandatory.
In Japan they're calling it what it is — UNUSUAL. Two mandatory defences in a row.
Takuma only just got through the last one. In September he beat Tenshin Nasukawa in their rematch in Tokyo, but he had to get up off the floor in round seven to do it.
Now comes a man who punches for a living.
Cain — 15-1, 13 KOs.
He earned this shot the hard way in February. Down in the eighth round of his eliminator against Alejandro González… then got up and stopped him in the ninth.
Takuma — 23-2, 5 KOs. The boxer. The thinker.
Cain — the puncher who doesn't know when he's beaten.
And here's one for our Filipino fans: if this gets made, it's Takuma's first foreign opponent in six fights.
The last one ?
Jerwin Ancajas, February 2024.
So does the champion out-box another banger ?
Or does Liverpool take the green belt away from the Inoue family ?
No date. No venue. Not yet.
But this one has upset written all over it !!
🇯🇵 TAKUMA INOUE (23-2, 5 KOs) vs ANDREW CAIN (15-1, 13 KOs) 🇬🇧
🥊 WBC Bantamweight World Championship (ordered)
📅 TBA
📺 TBA
Stay tuned !
Sources:
WBC (11 Nov 2026) — https://wbcboxing.com/en/wbc-mandatories-in-acapulco-decisions-across-all-18-divisions/
Nikkan Sports (12 Nov 2026) — https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/boxing/news/202611120001036.html
Fight Sports (12 Nov 2026) — https://www.fightsports.tv/naoya-inoues-brother-takuma-inoue-ordered-to-defend-title/
MiddleEasy (11 Nov 2026) — https://middleeasy.com/boxing/andrew-cain-takuma-inoue-wbc-bantamweight-title-order/


























Bacolod's Genesis Servania will fight China's rising star Aketelieti Yelejian for the WBO Asia Lightweight title this November.
The highly-anticipated match up will take place on the undercard of the IBF world title fight between Pedro Taduran and Zhu DianXing at Jeju Island, South Korea.
Aketelieti Yelejian, who suffered a narrow loss to the Prince Albert Pagara in June, rebounded with an impressive IBF Asia victory against Korean Jin Su Kim in Vietnam recently. He is a very rangy and deceptive boxer known for his relaxed combinations, and he's supremely confident in his ability to take down Servania and claim the title.
"I've studied Servania's style, and I know I have the skills to outmaneuver him," Yelejian said yesterday.
"I'm excited to represent China on the international stage once more, and bring home an impressive win against a top and proven boxer like Genesis."
Servania, a seasoned veteran with a 35-4 record, boasts a reputation for toughness that has come from battles at the top level. And has still possesses some of the best body shots in the sport of boxing.
This important title shot gives the filipino the opportunity to re-establish himself on the world scene once more, and it's best remembered that his only defeats have came against world-ranked champions like Oscar Valdez and Andres Cortes.
But the China team have already confidently stated that Yelejian's youth, speed, height, and reach may all prove too much for the Filipino boxer.
Their optimism also exudes for the world title bout, where surprisingly, they are quite dismissive of Pedro Taduran's hopes of beating star Zhu DianXing. They actually rate their boxer so highly, they have predicted that the champion has no chance of retaining the belt.
These claims set up an intriguing backdrop for two massive Philippines v China feature bouts.
Fight Details :
- Date: Saturday, November 23rd
- Location: Jeju Island, South Korea
- Title: WBO Asia Lightweight
- Contenders: Aketelieti Yelejian (China) vs. Genesis Servania (Philippines)























