The final vacant bantamweight title will be in play just before the ring return of the division’s previous ruler.
BoxingScene has confirmed that the Jose Salas-Landile Ngxeke IBF 118lbs title fight will take place on December 13 at a location to be determined in Mexico. The development comes less than a month after the two sides began negotiations, and ahead of the November 6 deadline.
BXSTRS Promotions will take the lead for the show. The Mexico-based company confirmed in an interview with ESPN Knockout that its side is still in talks with Ngxeke’s team – led by Colin Nathan and No Doubt Management – to ensure all parties are fully satisfied ahead of fight night.
The winner will claim one of two 118lbs belts left behind by three-division champ Junto Nakatani, 31-0 (24 KOs), who will make his 122lbs debut later this year. Japan’s Nakatani – a former 112lbs and 115lbs titlist – held the WBC and IBF belts, having unified the titles in a June 8 knockout win over unbeaten countryman Ryosuke Nishida.
Salas, 16-0 (10 KOs), played a significant role in the formation of the all-Japan unification bout.
An unbeaten 23-year-old from Tijuana, Salas was the mandatory challenger to the IBF title held at the time by Nishida. His team agreed to allow the fight to move forward, with the promise that Salas’ next fight would be for the title.
It was never believed at the time that Nakatani would stick around at bantamweight beyond his fight with Nishida. The plan – at least since earlier this year – was to secure a massive all-Japan superfight with four-division and reigning undisputed 122lbs champ Naoya Inoue.
Nakatani and Inoue will appear in separate bouts on a December 27 show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The expectation is for the two – with wins – to then meet in the first half of 2026.
Meanwhile, life moves on at 118lbs, where Salas and Ngxeke represent a pair of first-time title challengers.
Salas kept busy with an eight-round win on May 15 in Texcoco, Mexico. The fight was secured once it was realized that Salas would not face Nishida next, and was a necessary step since he hadn’t previously fought since last April 19 in his Tijuana hometown.
South Africa’s Ngxeke, 16-1-1 (8 KOs), hasn’t been much more active.
The 30-year-old contender Ngeeke has fought just once this year, a 10-round unanimous decision over Eric Gamboa on June 29 in East London, roughly two hours from his Sada hometown. His clash with Salas will mark a step up in class as well as his first fight outside his home country.
The timing of the bout places it three weeks after the vacant WBC 118lbs title is in play. Unbeaten contender Tenshin Nasukawa – a kickboxing legend before he made the transition to boxing – will meet former WBA titleholder Takuma Inoue on November 24 in Tokyo.
