Former Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation lightweight champion Masayoshi Nakatani of Teiken Boxing Gym arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada of the United States on Dec. 5 (Dec. 6 Japan time) to vie for the World Boxing Organization’s Inter-Continental lightweight title with Felix Verdejo of Puerto Rico on Dec. 12 local time.

It will be the 31-year-old Nakatani’s second bout in the U.S. as he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Teofimo Lopez of the U.S. on July 19 last year in Maryland in a bout to decide the International Boxing Federation’s lightweight challenger.

The scheduled 10-rounder with Verdejo at the MGM Grand Conference Center will be Nakatani’s first fight since joining the Teiken gym from Ioka Boxing Gym this month and also his first since losing to Lopez, who currently holds three world titles among the four world sanctioning bodies.

Nakatani issued a statement to the effect that his physical condition is good as he made a run soon after the arrival (in Las Vegas). He hopes Japanese fans to look forward to his fight as he is determined to show even a Japanese medium-weight boxer can cope with a world-class boxer.

Nakatani, who successfully defended the OPBF crown 11 times before relinquishing the title in September last year, has a record of 18 wins, 12 by knockout, against a loss (to Lopez). The 27-year-old Verdejo, the IBF’s fifth-ranked lightweight, has 27 wins, including 17 KOs, against a loss. Photo / Teiken Promotion