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Kosei Tanaka’s WBO-mandated flyweight title defense against Jonathan Gonzalez is official for August 24th in the champion’s hometown of Nagoya, Japan. It will take place at Takeda Teva Ocean Arena, where Tanaka’s epic battle with Sho Kimura took place last September.
The 23-year-old Tanaka (13-0, 7 KO) has been must-watch TV throughout his 5.5-year pro career. He claimed his first world title with a knockout of Vic Saludar in his sixth pro fight, then moved from 105 to 108 pounds to dominate unbeaten knockout artist Angel Acosta. After one defense, he made the move to 112, where he defeated Ronnie Baldonado, the aforementioned Kimura, and Ryoichi Taguchi in the first defense of the belt he claimed from Kimura.
“Bomba” Gonzalez (22-2-1, 13 KO) was a touted prospect at one point before getting routed by Giovanni Segura in 2013. He’s currently on a four-fight winning streak, among them victories over former title challengers Ricardo Rodriguez and Juan Alejo.