Takuma Inoue will make the maiden defence of his WBA bantamweight title against former champ Jerwin Ancajas in what promises to be an intriguing encounter on February 24 in Tokyo. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will air on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Inoue, younger brother of pound-for-pound superstar Naoya, claimed the vacant WBA championship last April by scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over veteran Liborio Solis. His title defence against Ancajas was originally scheduled for November but was postponed when Inoue suffered a fractured rib in sparring.
Ancajas, who hails from the Philippines, is a former IBF super flyweight champion who made nine successful defences. The sharp shooting lefty lost some momentum when he suffered back-to-back defeats to Fernando Martinez, but he retains plenty of ambition and is looking to become a two-weight world champion.
WATCH: Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas, exclusively on ESPN+
The Sporting News now provides odds and a final prediction on the main event in Japan.
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas betting odds
Per BetMGM, Inoue is the -275 favourite while Ancajas is the +225 underdog. The draw is +1600.
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas trends
There are currently no betting trends for this fight. The Sporting News will update this section as and when the information becomes available, courtesy of BetMGM.
- Inoue via KO/TKO/Tech. Dec/DQ: N/A
- Inoue via decision: N/A
- Ancajas via KO/TKO/Tech. Dec/ DQ: N/A
- Ancajas via decision: N/A
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas prediction, best bets
Inoue (18-1, 4 KOs) is the favourite in this fight and that’s largely due to career momentum. Since a points defeat to Frenchman Nordine Oubaali in 2019, he has posted five straight wins and become a world champion.
Meanwhile, Ancajas (34-3-2, 23 KOs) lost his title to Martinez in 2022 and he was looking stale in fights prior to that. However, the move up in weight is likely to benefit the ex-champ, and the prospect of winning a second world title will be a big motivator.
In terms of experience, the 32-year-old Ancajas has a huge advantage. He’s had 12 world title fights compared to just two for Inoue and mixed with far better competition. He’s also the type of southpaw who uses that stance to his advantage, much like Oubaali, who handed Inoue his only career defeat.
I like the underdog in this matchup. Inoue is a good fighter, and he’s improving all the time, but he’s in against a much better fighter than Liborio Solis.