By Rey Danseco
TALE OF THE TAPE
RUBILLAR OGAH
Philippines country Indonesia
29 Age 19
5-2 Height 5-5
107 Weight (lbs) 108
39-10-7, 17 Kos Record 18-0-1, 7 KOs
Southpaw Stance Orthodox
WBC No. 6 ranking OPBF No. 1
WORLD rated Filipino fighter Juanito Rubillar and Indonesian light flyweight champion Irfan Orfan Ogah easily took the weight limit prior to their clash for the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) light flyweight title tonight in Trece Martirez City, Cavite.
Rubillar tipped the scale 107 pounds, Ogah checked in exactly the limit at 108-lb in the official weigh in at the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Executive Offices in Makati City yesterday.
The Indonesian was first to predict a knockout win and he repeated the declaration, saying he can easily landed his punches with his three-inch height advantage.
“Knockout win will not be impossible. I will do my best to bring the OPBF title to Indonesia,” said Ogah through an interpreter.
Rubillar, who is a 10-year senior compared to Ogah at 29 years of age, grinned as his initial reaction to Ogah’s prediction.
“He’s taller, with longer reach but inexperienced,” said Rubillar. “I can knock him out should he fight in front of me and not run, expect it.”
The 12-round fight is a mandatory clash between Rubillar and Ogah, being the top rated boxers at 108-pound class in the region.
Rubillar is rated No. 6 by the World Boxing Council while Ogah is the No. 1 contender by the OPBF after he successfully made his third national light flyweight title defenses.
This is the first time that Ogah will fight in a hostile crowd. He has respectable 18-0-1 win-loss-draw records with seven knockouts.
The Indon champ came to the country Tuesday night after he completed 150 rounds of sparring with reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight king Muhammad Rachman, Indonesian interim minimumweight champ Sofyan Efendi and Indonesian No. 2 junior flyweight contender named Rufi under the watchful eyes of trainer Eric Pirih at Pirih Boxing Gym in Surabaya, East Java.
Rubillar is a veteran of two world title fights under International Boxing Federation and WBC. He also fought for two WBC interim light flyweight championships. He has 39-10-7, 17 Kos.
The OPBF assigned Bruce McTavish as scoring referee while the judge at ringside are Filipino lawyer Epi Almeda and Indon Muhammad Rois, (not Muhammad Ruiz as previuosly reported).
On the undercard, Filipino substitute Steve Dimaisip faces Indonesian interim minimumweight titlist Sofyan Efendi in a non-title fight.
Also slated is the acid test for unbeaten flyweight prospect Draian “Little Espinosa” Francisco (8-0, 5 KOs) in the undercard. Francisco, who took a moniker from this writer “Little Espinosa” will be tested by veteran Alex Guevarra for another tenner.
Promoter Bebot Elorde wants to gauge if Francisco is ready to fight in his planned installation on November 25 in Mandaluyong City for the vacant World Boxing Organization Asia pacific flyweight title against foreign opposition.
Francisco, 23, moves and throws punches like the great former WBA bantamweight and WBC featherweight champion Luisito Espinosa. He is training under former two-time world flyweight king Erbito Salavarria in Quezon City.
