World Boxing Association (WBA) light minimum champion Eri Matsuda will face Tina Rupprecht in a three-crown unification fight this Saturday at the Olympiastuetzpunkt in Heidelberg, Germany. 

The bout will also have at stake Matsuda’s WBO belt and the IBF belt, which is held by Rupprecht. The winner will inevitably emerge as the best in the division, which has become increasingly competitive over the years. 

It will be a difficult challenge for the Japanese fighter, as it will be her first defense of the black and gold crown, as well as the first time she will be fighting outside her native country, which represents a challenge for any fighter’s career. 

In her most recent fight, the 30-year-old Matsuda defeated Yuko Kuroki to take the 102-pound crown from the pioneering body in a great performance that shocked the boxing world. 

She will now face Rupprecht, a long-time champion in the light minimum in the past who lost her world crown to Seniesa Estrada in 2023. After that loss, she decided to move down a category and was crowned by defeating Fabiana Bytyqi in January this year, so this fight will mean the consolidation in this new category. 

Matsuda has a record of 7 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw and 1 knockout, while Rupprecht has 13 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw and 3 knockouts.