Jerwin Ancajas

Professional Career

Jerwin Ancajas began his career on July 27, 2009, with a first-round TKO victory over Reynaldo Buluan. Over the next few years, Ancajas demonstrated his potential with a series of impressive wins, including capturing the WBO Asia Pacific Youth junior-bantamweight title by defeating Rex Tito in April 2011.

Ancajas’s career reached a new height when he won the IBF junior-bantamweight title on September 3, 2016, by defeating McJoe Arroyo via unanimous decision. He successfully defended this title multiple times, showcasing his dominance in the division. Notable defenses include victories over Teiru Kinoshita, Jamie Conlan, and Israel González, with most of these wins coming by way of knockout or technical knockout. His reign as the IBF junior-bantamweight champion solidified his status as one of the top fighters in the world.

Despite his success, Ancajas faced significant challenges. He lost his IBF title to Fernando Martínez on February 26, 2022, in a unanimous decision. Ancajas attempted to regain the title in a rematch later that year but was unsuccessful, suffering another unanimous decision loss to Martínez. However, Ancajas bounced back with a fifth-round TKO victory over Wilner Soto in June 2023, demonstrating his resilience and determination to remain a top contender. Ancajas’s most recent bout was a loss to Takuma Inoue on February 24, 2024, for the WBA bantamweight title. Despite a strong start, Ancajas was knocked out in the ninth round, highlighting the intense competition at the highest levels of the sport.