Nakatani plans first defense of his WBC title

The undefeated WBC bantamweight champion, Junto Nakatani, will make the first defense of his title on July 20 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, against the mandatory challenger, Filipino Vincent Astrolabio.

Japanese three-division champion, Nakatani (27-0, 20 KOs), comes into this fight after winning the WBC bantamweight title by defeating Alexander Santiago last February.

Astrolabio (19-4, 14 KOs), promoted by Manny Pacquiao, comes into this fight after defeating the tough Thai Navapon Khaikanha with a spectacular technical knockout in the eleventh round in an eliminatory bout in August.