Light flyweight prospect Raito Kataoka (Ohashi) will compete in his first title bout in his third professional fight. He will headline “Lemino BOXING Phoenix Battle 162” at Korakuen Hall on Thursday, October 29, in a bout for the OPBF light flyweight title. He will face the division’s No. 1-ranked contender, Alar Andares (Philippines).
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In his professional debut in March, Kataoka faced current Japanese champion Natsu Ohashi (Shonan Ryuken) and won by TKO in the sixth round. In his second professional bout, he knocked out a Thai opponent in the first round, advancing to this title eliminator. “I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity in my third fight. I’m determined to win at all costs and use this as a stepping stone to the next level,” the 20-year-old prospect said calmly.
His opponent, Andares, is a 26-year-old with a record of 19 wins (8 KOs), 2 losses, and 3 draws. In 2019, he challenged the then-WBA Minimumweight champion, Knockout CP Freshmart (Thailand), and lost by injury decision in the eighth round. He has fought in Japan before, but both bouts ended in technical draws (due to injury) in the early rounds.
On the day of the event, in addition to the Kataoka vs. Andares bout, there will be four title fights: an OPBF & Japanese flyweight title match, an OPBF super-bantamweight title match, and a WBO Asia-Pacific flyweight title match. In addition, Yuta Sakai (Ohashi), riding an eight-fight winning streak, will challenge world-ranked Petch Sochippattana (Thailand). The card is packed with action, including the second professional bout for Tomu Kataoka (Ohashi), the younger brother of Raito. The event will be live-streamed on Lemino.
