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Milan Melindo hopes to find success in a new weight class.
Melindo is now campaigning at featherweight. He was victorious in his last bout on January 11, defeating Chaiwat Buatkrathok by unanimous decision at the Sports Complex in his hometown of Cebu City in the Philippines.
Scores were 98-92, 98-92, and 97-93 for Melindo, who improved to 39-5, 14 knockouts.
The 34-year-old has now won his last two fights.
After failed attempts to win a world title belt at flyweight and junior flyweight, Melindo finally won a world title belt, the IBF world junior flyweight title, by stopping Japan’s Akira Yaegashi in May 2017. Melindo would make a successful defense of the IBF by defeating Hekkie Budler by split-decision less than four months later.
Melindo would lose the IBF world title in his next fight in December 2017, dropping a unanimous decision to Ryoichi Taguchi.
Melindo would then go through a rough two-fight stretch in 2018 and 2019, losing by knockout to then-WBC world junior flyweight titleholder Kenshiro Teraji and then-unbeaten flyweight prospect Junto Nakatani.
Prior to the win over Buatkrathok, Melindo previously fought on April 22, stopping Crison Omaymo in the sixth round.
Buatkrathok, who resides in Nonthaburi, Thailand, drops to 38-8, 25 KOs. The 30-year-old has lost three of his last four bouts.
Also on the card promoted by John Jigo Dacua, junior welterweight prospect Carlo Bacaro improved to 10-0, 6 KOs by defeating Ryan Sermona by unanimous decision. Scores were 79-73, 78-74, and 77-75 for Bacaro.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene since September 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
