Philippines, 19 Mar 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


He's Back: Vasiliy Lomachenko Returns Saturday Night Against Masayoshi Nakatani in Lightweight Main Event

PhilBoxing.com





LAS VEGAS (June 24, 2021) — Former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko is ready for the next chapter. Eight months after losing an undisputed lightweight title match to Teofimo Lopez, "Loma" returns Saturday night in a 12-round lightweight bout against Japanese contender Masayoshi Nakatani at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

In the 10-round middleweight co-feature, undefeated sensation Janibek "Qazaq Style" Alimkhanuly will fight former world champion Rob "Bravo" Brant.

Both fights will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with undercard bouts set to begin on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.

At the final press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.



Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I can’t wait to be back in the ring. I’m very excited and I want to show my best skills. I want to prove to myself, my family, my friends, my team, who I am in the ring.”

“He is a tough guy. He has the height and the reach. I think he is a very good boxer. That’s why he was my choice as an opponent.”

“It’s great to have fans {in the crowd}. They push us in the ring. They give us energy.”

“I have a fight this Saturday, and after that, we can talk about a rematch. I want it!”

Masayoshi Nakatani

“A fellow Japanese fighter {Inoue last week} having a great performance is very motivating for me.”

“This is a fight that I have to win and that I want to win.”

“When this fight came up, I felt that it is the biggest fight of my career. But getting the fight doesn’t mean anything. I must win for this fight to mean something. I’m going to win!”



Rob Brant

“I’m feeling amazing. It’s never a surprise being the underdog. I’m looking forward to it. You have to take the risks. I have no problem with being the underdog.”

“I learned a lot of patience and guidance from my trainer, {Brian} 'BoMac' McIntyre. I have always been known as a high-volume boxer, but with BoMac I have learned and developed a lot of the patience.”

“This is Top Rank. Everyone wants to be at the highest level, and I want to prove that I belong here. My focus is 100 percent on beating Janibek on Saturday.”

Janibek Alimkhanuly

“This fight is very important for me. I’m 100 percent ready, and Saturday night I’m going to show what 'Qazaq Style' is all about. Very soon I’ll be fighting as the main event.”

“Three years ago, I started training with Buddy McGirt. I like him a lot. He is looking to add more tools to the style that I already have. We are already looking to win a world title together.”

SATURDAY, June 26, 2021

ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Masayoshi Nakatani, 12 rounds, lightweight

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Rob Brant, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly's WBO Global and WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Titles

ESPN+, 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT

Giovani Santillan vs. Cecil McCalla, 10/8 rounds, welterweight

Robert Rodriguez vs. Luis Fernando Saavedra, 6 rounds, bantamweight

Guido Vianello vs. Marlon Williams, 4 rounds, heavyweight

Floyd Diaz vs. Jaime Jasso, 4 rounds, bantamweight

Subaru Murata vs. Keven Monroy, 4 rounds, junior featherweight

DeMichael Harris vs. Jonatan Hernan Godoy, 4 rounds, lightweight





Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • DAZN and Top Rank announce a landmark multi-year media rights deal bringing elite events and a storied archive to DAZN users worldwide
    , Thu, 19 Mar 2026
  • Sampson Boxing Signs Top Junior Lightweight Contender Charly Suarez to a Promotional Contract
    , Thu, 19 Mar 2026
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 17 MARCH 2026: Collazo Stops Haro; Fundora KO Ruiz; Barboza Outpoints Sims; Cacace UD Dickens
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Tapales Near Peak Form Ahead of April 3 Tokyo Showdown with Oguni
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • MILLER AND PERO CLASH IN HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN IN LAS VEGAS ON APRIL 25
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Middleweight Championship Battle Between (C) Khamzat Chimaev and (#3) Sean Strickland Headlines UFC® 328 at Prudential Center Live on Paramount+
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Sampson Lewkowicz & TM Boxing Sign Undefeated Mexican Prospect José Ángel Guerrero to Co-Promotional Deal
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • 12-Time World Champion & Hall of Famer James Toney Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Five stitches for Donaire’s cut
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Roberto Gomez Training Camp Notes
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Esneth Domingo Trains at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles Ahead of His US Debut
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Tatay Digong Birthday Run on March 28
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • 12-0 prospect Marco Romero to headline This Friday in Independence, Missouri
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • 700 athletes on March 21-22 at UM
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • United States Earns Four Gold Medals on Final Day of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Mexico wins 2 bronze medals at World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Arnold Barboza Jr. Shines in Welterweight Debut, Defeats Kenneth Sims Jr. to Claim Wbo Global Welterweight Title
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • WBC top contender Canoy returns to Davao with Unanimous Decision Victory
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • John Randall Peralta: The Future of the Philippine Chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Alvin “Felemon” Dologuin Claims Win in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Donaire's Yokohama Showdown: Can our Filipino Flash Outshine the Rising Sun? (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Wins Five of Eight Bouts on Day Six
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive NBA games with 20 points or more
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Stops Mexican Terminator Manuel Gallego in Eight Classic Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Weigh-in from Highland Boxing in Bangkok, Thailand; Dologuin in Action (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.