WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. is set to defend his title against Japanese contender Jin Sasaki. This Top Rank Boxing main event takes place Thursday at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
Norman, currently undefeated with a record of 27-0 (21 KOs), holds the distinction of being the youngest male world champion in boxing. The 24-year-old fighter from Decatur, Georgia, will be making his second defense of the WBO strap. His last fight on March 29 saw him secure a third-round TKO victory over Derrieck Cuevas. Norman initially claimed the WBO interim title by defeating Giovani Santillan in May 2024.
He was ranked second among welterweights by ESPN, trailing only Jaron Ennis. Norman`s interim tag was elevated to full champion status after Terence Crawford transitioned to the junior middleweight division.
Sasaki comes into the fight with a record of 19-1-1, including 17 KOs. He has been undefeated in nine contests since moving up to the welterweight division. His most recent bout was in January, where he secured a unanimous decision win over Shoki Sakai. The 23-year-old Sasaki, ranked seventh by ESPN in the welterweight class, completed 12 rounds for the first time in his professional career in that victory.
The co-main event will feature Cristian Araneta (25-2, 20 KOs) facing Thanongsak Simsri (38-1, 34 KOs) for the vacant IBF junior flyweight championship.
The Top Rank Boxing card also includes:
Sora Tanaka (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Takeru Kobata (14-7-1, 6 KOs) – a 12-round welterweight contest for the vacant OPBF title.
How to watch the fight card:
The main card is scheduled to start on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be available for streaming on ESPN+ and Disney+.