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The WBO title match will be held in Incheon, South Korea.
Among the 20 names competing at the event are three Vietnamese boxers, namely reigning IBA Bantamweight World Champion Thao in the men’s 55kg category, Nguyen Van Hai in the 61kg category, and Dinh Hong Quan in the 60kg category.
Thao (16-1-0, 10 KOs) will go toe-to-toe with Chinese boxer Gui Ming Li (5-4-0, 1 KO).
In his most recent match last month, Thao defeated the experienced Kenbun Torres from Mexico by unanimous decision at the WBO global title match in Ho Tram, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam.
The 23-year-old Gui, who ranks 3rd in his category in China, has been valued for his youth.
"Facing a younger opponent, I will have to be cautious and prepare well physically to stay in the match," Thao said. "But experience is my advantage, and I will make use of it to bring joy to the home crowd."
In the 61kg category, Nguyen Van Hai (6-1-0, 3 KOs) will face Philippines' Genesis Servinia, who boasts an impressive record of 34 wins, with 16 by knock-out, in 38 matches.
In July 2023, Hai pulled off an upset victory over Abdul Motalib, flooring him after just 12 seconds at the WBO Global Prelude in Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Hence, Hai is expected to give Servinia a good fight, and a win by knock-out is not ruled out.
Former Asia Lightweight IBF Champion Dinh Hong Quan (10-1-1, 4 KOs) is paired up against Japanese Yoji Saito (5-3-2, 5 KOs). This is Quan's first match after failing to defend his IBF belt in late 2022 under a new weight class - Super Lightweight (63.5kg). Fans are curious to see how he will perform upon this return. Pundits are asking: will he win back their trust?
Along with the three fights involving Vietnamese boxers, the event also features three WBO world title-defending bouts.
In the main event, Chinese Zhu DianXing (11-1-0, 10 KOs) will defend his WBO world 48kg title against Filipino Richard Garde (8-1-0, 7 KOs).
In another high-profile bout, Olimjon Nazarov from Uzbekistan, who has 28 victories (15 by KO) in 33 matches, will look to retain his WBO World 55kg title against Chinese Wulan Tuolehazi (15-5-2, 7 KOs).
