Former World Boxing Association super bantamweight champion Shun Kubo will return to the ring on Sept. 26 in Kobe, western Japan, his first bout since his unsuccessful challenge to WBA featherweight kingpin Xu Can of China for the latter’s title in Fuzhou, China’s Fujian Province, in May last year, Shinsei Boxing Gym to which Kubo belongs said on Aug. 25.
The scheduled eight-rounder against Takashi Igarashi, the Central Japan Rookie King Tournament winner in the featherweight in 2014, will be held at Kobe Central Gymnasium, according to Shinsei.

The 30-year-old Kubo captured the WBA super bantamweight crown in Osaka, east of Kobe, in April 2017 from Nehomar Cermeno of Venezuela via a close decision but lost the title to Daniel Roman of the United States in September 2017 in Kyoto, north of Osaka, in his first title defense.

Kubo said, ‘’I am happy that I can do what I want to do. It is as simple as that. I am proud of my decision to continue boxing.’’

The chief supporting card will be World Boxing Organization female atomweight champion Mika Iwakawa’s first defense of the title against Nanae Suzuki. Iwakawa wrested the title from veteran Nao Ikeyama in July 2018.

Former Japanese bantamweight champion Kohei Oba, nicknamed ‘’the Japanese Floyd Mayweather’’ for his fighting style, will also have a fight for the first time in six years in one of the undercards.

Event organizers plan to keep the cap on spectators for the event.