Japanese star Takuma Inoue is finally out from under his older brother’s shadow and will make the maiden defense of his WBC bantamweight title against ex-champ Jerwin Ancajas in Tokyo on February 24. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the U.S.
WATCH: Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas, exclusively on ESPN+
Inoue, the younger sibling of pound-for-pound stalwart Naoya, captured the vacant championship last April when he outpointed veteran Liborio Solis. This title defense against Ancajas was originally set for November but had to be postponed when the champion suffered a rib injury in training.
Ancajas is a former IBF super flyweight champion. The Filipino lefty made nine successful defenses before being outpointed in back-to-back fights by the unbeaten Fernando Martinez. Now campaigning at bantamweight, the goal is to become a two-weight world champion.
The Sporting News will post undercard results and a full report on the main event.
When is Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas?
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas airs on February 24 at 4 a.m. ET.
| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, February 24 | 4 a.m. ET | 7 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, February 24 | 1 a.m. PT | 4 a.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Saturday, February 24 | 9 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. GMT |
|
Australia |
Saturday, February 24 | 8 p.m. AEDT | 11 p.m. GMT |
MORE: Boxing’s top five pound-for-pound fighters from Japan
How to watch Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas: TV channel, live stream
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | ESPN | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — | TSN+ |
| UK and Ireland | — | — |
| Australia | — | TBC |
The Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas main card will air on ESPN+ in the U.S. The undercard will air exclusively on ESPN+.
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas price: How much does the event cost?
You can pay $ 10.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $ 109.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $ 10.99/mo |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $ 109.99/yr |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $ 14.99/mo |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $ 24.99/mo |
WATCH: Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas, exclusively on ESPN+
Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas fight card
- Takuma Inoue (c) vs. Jerwin Ancajas for the WBA bantamweight title
- Alexandro Santiago (c) vs. Junto Nakatani for the WBC bantamweight title
- Kosei Tanaka def. Christian Bacasegua Rangel via UD 12 (119-108, 117-111, 116-111) for the WBO super flyweight title
- Riku Masuda def. Jonas Sultan via KO 1 (2:21); Bantamweights
