Former World Boxing Council flyweight champion Daigo Higa of Shisei Boxing Gym will face World Boxing Association’s third-ranked super flyweight Sirichai Thaiyen of Thailand in a 10-round bantamweight nontitle bout on June 24 in Tokyo, the gym said on May 23.

According to the gym, the Higa-Songsaeng fight will serve as the chief supporting card for the WBA super flyweight championship bout between champion Joshua Franco of the United States and challenger and Higa’s senior stablemate Kazuto Ioka at the Ota City General Gymnasium. Franko and Ioka, then World Boxing Organization super flyweight kingpin, fought to a majority draw in their title unification fight last Dec. 31 at the same place. Ioka later relinquished his title to have a direct rematch with Franco.

Higa told reporters at the gym, ‘’It was about time for me to have a fight if I were to aim for a world title challenge. I think my physical strength has improved after the recent one-week training camp in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. I think I can climb through the ropes with a good physical condition (compared with my past few fights).’’

While Higa holds the record-tying 15th-straight knockout record in Japan, he has so far had a little lackluster record of a 4-1-1 win-loss-draw tally with two KOs ever since moving up to the bantamweight division after losing his WBC flyweight title in April 2018.

His opponent, the 32-year-old Sirichai, has an ample record of 65 wins, including 43 KOs, against four losses and wrested the WBA world flyweight interim title from Higa’s senior stablemate Koki Eto in September 2013. He has now continued to win 15 straight bouts since October 2018.

‘’A knockout is interesting even in other boxer’s fight. I will look for a KO victory this time,’’ added Higa, who has a record of 19 wins, including 17 KOs, against two losses and a draw.