UNBEATEN DAIGO HIGA EYES OPBF TITLE FIGHT AGAINST CHAMPION ARDIN DIALE IN JULY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 08 Mar 2016
Unbeaten Japanese flyweight Daigo Higa who has a stunningly impressive record of 9 knockouts in 9 fights is hoping to get a crack at the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation champion Ardin Diale in July.
Higa who battered Filipino challenger Romel Oliveros to score a 2nd round knockout after dropping the hapless Filipino four times in their WBC Youth flyweight title defense in Tokyo last Saturday is an awesome puncher and is expected to give Diale a tough test should they clash in July.
Higa dropped Oliveros with a vicious body shot early in the second round and sent the challenger to the canvas three more times before the Filipino failed to beat the count at the 2:19 mark.
Handled by former world champion Yoko Gushiken, the hard-hitting Higa hopes to overcome Diale who is a crafty veteran before going after a world in the hope of matching Gushiken?s record of becoming a world champion at the age of 21.
Higa was coming off a 10th round TKO over another Filipino Renren Tesorio last November 7 in Tokyo while Oliveros who dropped to 6-2-1 with 1 knockout following his loss was beaten in his last fight by another Japanese Takayuki Okumoto on December 5, 2015 dropping a unanimous ten round decision.
The best fight of Higa?s impressive young career so far was when he travelled to Thailand to face a fellow unbeaten fighter, impressively bullying Kongfah CP Freshmart, bludgeoning his rival into a seventh round defeat.
The 20 year old Oliveros who has been a pro for some twenty 20 months which is the same as Higa was 6-1 with 1 knockout going into the clash with Higa with his only loss being in his last contest just before Christmas in his only fight outside the Philippines. Oliveros fought in Japan and lost an eight-round decision to Takayuki Okumoto.
Prior to the fight Higa said he intended to go about his business in the typical manner: ?I would like to attack him in a bold way from the first round with a challenger?s mentality as usual.?
He added ?My strength is my aggressive fighting style and mental toughness not to lose.?
He has backed that up by winning on the road in South Korea and Thailand. Higa is managed and promoted by 2015 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Yoko Gushiken. Gushiken (23-1, 15 KOs) made 13 successful defenses of his WBA 108-pound title ? a Japanese record ? before retiring in 1981. ?His strength is aggressiveness not to run away from an opponent,? Gushiken said. ?Power, hard punches, honesty and strong mind.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
76ers star Paul George has been suspended for 25 NBA games by doping
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Fit To Be Unified: Xander Zayas Defeats Abass Baraou To Unify Junior Middleweight World Titles
Sun, 01 Feb 2026Fit To Be Unified: Xander Zayas Defeats Abass Baraou To Unify Junior Middleweight World Titles
Sun, 01 Feb 2026Trazo beats Jabagat in Talisay
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Into fights Sanchez on Feb. 9 at Villa Kristen
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: Styles Make Fights Fitting Cliche
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Bryan Flores Wins Majority Decision Over Starling Castillo in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
Sat, 31 Jan 2026KinetixSports Legacy Run on March 1
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 31 Jan 2026THE RING 6: OFFICIAL WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER FOR TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON
Sat, 31 Jan 2026Legendary Soccer Player Sergio Ramos to make professional boxing debut
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Weigh-In Results: Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou
Sat, 31 Jan 2026Teofimo vs Shakur Fight Analysis
By Ralph Rimpell, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Rohan Polanco-Christian Gomez Welterweight Showdown Canceled
Sat, 31 Jan 2026NEWCASTLE WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER CONFIRMED AS MURTAZALIEV AND KELLY CLASH FOR WORLD TITLE
Fri, 30 Jan 2026Boxers Make Weight for Brico Santig’s Exciting 21-Bout Promotion in Thailand (PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 30 Jan 2026