ONE year after, Pedro Taduran gets a shot at reclaiming his world crown.
Taduran challenges tormentor and reigning champion Rene Mark Cuarto in a rematch for the IBF world mini-flyweight championship on Sunday at the Digos City gymnasium in Davao.
In the latest all-Filipino showdown for a world title, the 25-year-old Taduran will seek to regain the 105-pound belt which he lost to Cuarto last year in General Santos City.
Cuarto, 25, won the 12-round bout by unanimous decision, all by the score of 115-113, despite a late charge made by Taduran, whose camp believed they should have won the fight.
Taduran now gets a chance to avenge the loss in Cuarto’s first title defense.
Pedro Taduran and Rene Mark Cuarto easily make weight
During the official weigh-in Saturday, Cuarto checked in at 102 lbs. while Taduran came in at exactly 105 lbs.
The champion, fighting out of MP Promotions, sports a 19-2-2 record with 11 KOs and is trained by Nonoy Neri, one of the Filipino trainers of the legendary Manny Pacquiao.
Taduran meanwhile, has a record of 14-3-1 with 11 KOs. He’s handle by former world champion Tacy Macalos and fights under Art Monis of Hardstone Monis Promotions.
A native of Libon, Albay, Taduran initially won the crown with a fourth round stoppage of compatriot Samuel Salva three years ago in Taguig, before retaining his crown behind a technical draw against Mexican challenger Jardin Cerveza in Guadalupe, Mexico just before the outbreak of the global pandemic in 2020.