The World Boxing Association Championships Committee has ordered negotiations between WBA World super flyweight champion Kohei Kono (32-8-1, 13 KOs), from Tokyo, Japan, and WBA World interim super flyweight champion Luis “El Nica” Concepcion (34-4, 24 KOs), from Panama City, Panama, to fight for the 115-pound title currently held by the Asian fighter.
Kono first won the WBA flyweight title in 2012, when he KO’d Tepparith Kokietgym in Tokyo in the fourth round of a scheduled 12. Five months later he lost the belt in his first defense to Liborio Solis.
In March 2014, Kono won the vacant WBA World super flyweight title by knocking out Denkaosan Kaovichit, dropping him in the fourth and eighth rounds. He has defended his title three times since then, defeating Norberto Jimenez in 2014, Koki Kameda in 2015, and Inthanon Sithchamuang in April of this year.
As stipulated by the WBA regulations, a champion must defend his title against the mandatory challenger within nine months.
“El Nica” is that mandatory challenger.
A former WBA Fedebol super flyweight and WBA Fedelatin flyweight champion, Concepcion won the WBA World interim flyweight title in 2009 with a 12th round TKO of Omar Salado. He successfully defended the title three times before losing a fight to Hernan Marquez in 2011 for the WBA World flyweight title. His second shot at that belt, again against Marquez, also ended in defeat.
Concepcion went on to win the WBC Latino flyweight and WBC Silver flyweight and super flyweight titles.
In September 2015, “El Nica” defeated David Sanchez to win the WBA World interim super flyweight title.
In his last fight, at Arena Roberto Duran in December, he successfully defended his title by finally defeating Hernan Marquez.
The managers and promoters of Kohei Kono and Luis Concepcion have 30 days to reach an agreement. If an agreement cannot be reached during that time, the fight will be made available via purse bid.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
