Dapudong and Garcia fight in Mexico June 19

Rodel Mayol will not be the only Filipino boxer fighting in Mexico this June 19 when he defends his WBC lt. flyweight crown against Omar Nino Romero in Queretaro. Edren ?The Sting? Dapudong of North Cotabato and Richard Garcia of Mandaluyong City will be figuring in important bouts in Nayarit.

Dapudong (17W-2L, 9 KO's) fights out of Braveheart Stable and has previously won the WBO Asia-Pacific minimumweight and WBO Oriental lt.flyweight belts. He will fight as a flyweight for the WBC silver belt against Jesus ?Destroyer? Jimenez (28W-5L, 20 KO's) of Mexico.

Jimenez holds the WBO Latino flyweight title and has stopped five of his last six opponents. Dapudong is ranked by the major sanctioning bodies and needs this win to boost his chances for a future world title shot.

Garcia (21W-10L-1D, 5 KO's) on the other hand will face Mexican Juan Jose Montes in the superflyweight division. In 2008, Garcia beat Ratanapol Sor Vorapin of Thailand by majority decision for the PABA Flyweight title. Last February, Garcia lost to Zolani Tete of South Africa by unanimous decision in an IBF flyweight eliminator.

Montes (17W-1L, 11KO's) beat Fernando Lumacad of the Philippines by unanimous decision last year for the WBC Youth superflyweight title.

Promoter Sammy Gello-ani informed that the two Filipino boxers left for the U.S. last Tuesday.

(Top photo - Edren Dapudong)